Larry LaRue breaks the news that the best catcher in franchise history is opting out of his contract and going back to Japan. Sounds like the real deal, too - Zduriencik is holding a press conference in a couple of hours to discuss it.

Thanks for the years of service, Kenji. I'll miss the silly red glove and the powerpitch swing. Good luck in Japan.

Can't talk too much about the impact of all this now but this isn't a big surprise. Dave's been talking about the possibility of Johjima heading home for the past couple of months. This should free up some significant money for next year, but it comes at the cost of more Rob Johnson.

Matthew's Update: According to Shannon Drayer, no other confirmation yet, there is no buyout. The Mariners owe him no money.

Graham's Update: Section changed to great news. Party time!

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

HEY ANDRUS. HEY. HEYYYYYY HEYYYYYY ELVIS ANDRUS LOOK OVER HERE PAY ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION TO ME

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Said Geoff Baker on his blog:

We've been at the park for 10 hours and counting now and we aren't going anyplace. When history's on the line, you can count on us to be there.

It's a good thing you can count on them because you sure as hell can't count on us. Life kept me away from the games today, just as it's kept me away from a bunch of games lately and just as it's going to keep me away from much of the next week, but the coolest thing about Ichiro is that, while I missed him breaking Wee Willie Keeler's record today, I'll probably get to watch him break his own record next September. And I think that says just about everything that needs to be said.

Way to go, little dude.

Kenji Johjima just homered off the Dolphin.

More photos » by Sara D. Davis - AP

This man is not Stephen Strasburg, but is an incredible consolation prize.

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The Mariners first-round draft pick, 2nd overall, Dustin Ackley has signed. Details on the signing bonus are as of yet unknown, but for those people who were concerned that he might not sign, rest easy. Ackley is now a member of the Seattle Mariners organization. (Jeff's note: as you've heard, it's a $9.5m Major League contract. My first job after college paid me twelve dollars an hour.)

(Jeff's additional note: so according to Heyman, it's a $7.5m, five-year deal with $2m in escalator clauses, whatever that means. Ackley is still under team control for six years. Don't let the big league deal freak you out.)

(Jeff's final addition: From Jim Callis at BA, "Five-year major league deal, $6 million bonus, $1.5 million in guaranteed salaries, another $2.5 million possible in salaries depending on how quick he reaches the majors, $7.5 million total guaranteed." Let's go with that.)

No word yet on where Ackley will begin for reals, but your best bet is a week or so in Peoria to get back up to baseball speed after a few months off and then probably he joins Poythress in Double-A, but it will be interesting to see how the team handles it as they already have Gillies playing CF in High Desert and Carrera having a good season in CF in Double-A. How they shuffle the centerfielders in the system could tell us something about how they view the time tables for some of our mid-level prospects.

Then again, there is about two weeks left in the minor league season, so perhaps it will tell us nothing.

Another possibility that people are bound to talk about is Ackley at second base. Our system is certainly lacking in middle infield prospects, nearly at all levels and many have claimed that Ackley has the tools to make a successful transition to the keystone position. If the Mariners believe that he could adapt to second base quickly and without impeding his offensive ceiling, that might prove tempting to them, especially with Michael Saunders, Franklin Gutierrez and Ichiro Suzuki manning our outfield and under contract for quite awhile.

In the end, we get to trust them to make a better decision than the rest of us combined could ever hope to, so whatever, yay! Dustin Ackley!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-ESS!

In the spirit of Jeff's recaps, I recorded my reaction via webcam.

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Drayer:

Beltre just went upper deck left field in batting practice

7 innings
6 hits
2 solo homers
0 walks
9 strikeouts
75% strikes
16% swinging strikes

In 109-degree heat in a Las Vegas bandbox.

Per Drayer, to KC (hah!) for a pair of minor league pitchers. Details to follow.

They are:

Daniel Cortes

Derrick Saito