It's Official

If not, there should be.

There is nothing funny about this. This is not even amusing.

it’s not just the extension, which if they have a plan to start platooning Kenji and Clement and it’s for reasonable money, say $14-16 mil isn’t too horrific, it’s the timing ARGHHHHHHH

it’s funny because it’s true!

We had a whole thread about how we should thank him for his service and open the door for him on his way out.

and we don’t even know how much money it is. Plus Joh’s #s haven’t just been bad – he’s looked AWFUL at the plate

I hadn’t though of that at all. You may be right.

it’s one more nail in Bavasi’s coffin (boy does that thing have a lot of nails) either way.

They’d trade you to another team where you would thrive anyway. Then you could come back and sign a huge contract to suck in your decline years.

and I sincerely hope it’s ~$14M

Yamauchi was getting his morning “massage” and read a small article in the paper and found out Johjima’s contract was expiring. That prompted him to ask his assistant to find out why a loyal employee like Johjima didn’t already have an extension.

This of course, happening within the last 5 hours.

I know we like to think rationally, but people who own us, typical do what they want with us.

is far more valuable than hanging on to an aging catcher.

As I said earlier, last year – while Kenji was doing well – we had an entire thread about how the popular opinion around here was that although he is great, we need to just thank him for his service and show him the door.

So… no. That is not what would have happened. Incorrect.

An extension for ANY C to his year 35 season is risky. Go look at Piazza, Pudge and Varitek for examples. Here’s the thing: all THREE of them were better hitters at younger ages than Kenji is now, and better players.

Kenji is an above-average player about to hit his decline phase. The Mariners decided they needed to buy his decline phase. Of course, this being the franchise that let the useless carcass of Dan Wilson play for about 3 years too long, this is hardly surprising.

Catchers don’t last very long. They’re the halfbacks of Baseball, always undergoing physical stress that other players don’t have to face. He’s 32 now, and this is the age where catchers regress. That regression often takes the form of falling off a cliff.

A three year extension to a catcher who is 32 is not a good baseball decision.

That means he’s a great catcher!

based on who people “like.” What they have done is give a three year extension to a catcher who is 32. Catchers begin declining at this age.

Do you want a repeat of what happened with Dan Wilson, who stayed three years too long?

Like we discussed in the first Kenji Johjima extension possibility thread whenever the fuck that was, what we needed was a nice one year extension for 2010 where he could split time at C and DH with Clement to save their legs and get Clement acclimated, then at the end of the year, have Kenji Johjima appreciation day, and he’s on his way back to Japan as a rich celebrity going out on top. The End.

Because IIRC his first contract was 3/16.5. Then of course with Kenji it wouldn’t be surprising if he just told them “just give me the same money at we’re good”

“Johjima, who joined Seattle in 2006 with a three-year, $16.5 million contract, is about to receive another three-year deal,”

We don’t know the terms of the new one.

The Mariners like catcher Kenji Johjima so much, they’re giving him another deal.

Johjima, who joined Seattle in 2006 with a three-year, $16.5 million contract, is about to receive another three-year deal, according to major-league sources.

The financial terms of Johjima’s deal are not yet known. The Mariners will announce the contract on Friday afternoon.

So… don’t get your hopes up.

boy was I wrong.

he’d retire? He’s under contract.