Well, it's on the first page, so it's not a rumor at all. Although I am glad that he is gone and that Moore will likely get the chance to start now, I really liked Kenji solely because he was just Kenji. He didn't do anything wrong off the field (as far as we all know), and he didn't complain when he obviously got pushed to the wayside by the M's pitching staff.

Good luck in Japan Kenji. On the other hand, go Adam Moore! Please make sure Johnson is the backup next season by playing well in spring and not get injured!

Yeah, thanks to Kenji Johjima and his hard work in his three years for the Mariners. I wish him all the best in his baseball career in Japan.

Similarly..... Is there a country that Carlos Silva can return to? :-)

Funny, K11 ..... I'm curious to see how much KJ signs for with a Japanese club.

The word is the Ms did not pay anything to buy him out, which I believe, but it does not mean he won't get a payment from some part of the Yamauchi empire. Japanese businessmen are well know for doing things on the side.

And that's fine. As long as they don't count that towards the 2010 budget, then let them do whatever the heck they want.

Thanks for everything, Johjima. Thanks for doing the classy thing. I have nothing bad to say about this.

You do NOT undertsand the japanese mind - they put honor and pride before $$$$$. He has enough $$$$ to live very comfortably - how much more $$$ must one need. I dare say if he was NOT a japanese from Japan he would have just played until his contract ended and milked the $$$$$$ from it. My hat is of to him. Too bad there are not too many examples of such noble conduct amongst professional athletes!!!!

I hope he comes back to play with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks!

It was an unfortunate spate of events starting with the ugliness that was 2008, but I'm kind of happy Kenji is coming back home. I think the M's have a bit of a question mark to answer at the 2-spot now, but the salary left on the table may help give the M's some freedom to make moves this offseason.

Good luck to Adam Moore and I hope he can step up if the M's do not sign a more experienced catcher!

Do you only see $$ in your eyes?

There is report that Johjima is going to get 5 millions / year to play in Japan, ... unless you are brain dead, you know he is going to take less money to play in Japan. And 5 million is a lot of money in Japan's salary structure.

If it was purely about honor, pride and being noble, he would have left after stinking up the joint in 2008. No, the Ms new management obviously had something to do with this.

As far as $$$$ are concerned, given what the Ms have paid him, I'm sure he NOW has enough money to live comfortably.

$5 million (if the report is true - I have seen nothing about this) is a lot less than he was going to earn here. Japan has a very high cost of living.

BTW, if he instantly signs a contract, it means he was talking to other pro baseball teams while under contract with the Ms. Isn't that tampering?

Actually, management and Jack Z sound like they pretty much wanted Johjima to stay on for 2010. There is NO indication at all that management "forced Johjima out". From everything they've been saying, there may be a hole at catcher they will need to fill this offseason as they might not be willing to start the season with two unproven rookie catchers.

I'll say it again, Johjima > Moore > Johnson at this point. The team is better from a talent perspective with Johjima still on it. HOWEVER, the 8 million that was freed up will be a big help to the team in making moves to shore up other areas of greater need.

Again, money was likely not a primary motivating factor here. Johjima simply wanted to play the game he loves and do it as an undisputed starter in a place where he is more respected by his teammates and the fanbase. He still has the talent and ability to be a top 5 catcher in the MLB, and probably the #1 catcher in the NPB.

The 500 million yen the Hanshin Tigers are reportedly offering Joh for his services is just in talks. He has not met with the executives yet to discuss anything, and I think he'll probably want to meet with other teams around the NPB before committing to anything. Regardless, I think he'd be making a similar decision if it were 200 or 300 million yen on the rumored table. It's not about the money, it's about the playing time and respect.

You've obviously got a chip on your shoulder about Johjima and I'm not really sure why. He played great for the team in '06 and '07, and he's never said a negative thing about his teammates and the M's the whole time he's been here. He's always worked hard and done his best even when circumstances were tough. '08 marked one of the worst debacles in a clubhouse I've ever seen in the MLB, with teammates basically at eachothers throats. Don't forget, it was rumored a certain player threatened physical violence upon Ichiro that season! Through it all, Johjima always made efforts to smooth things over (fishing trip with Washburn and other pitchers).

'08 was a terrible season for Johjima to be sure, and a lot of it had to do with really bad blame-shifting pitchers, bad luck at the plate (check his BABIP), and loss of playing time due to the Clement experiment. Johjima at the time probably felt he could return to form in '09 and become the full time starter, so there was no reason to use his opt-out clause. However, when he was losing playing time in '09 to a fairly pathetic Rob Johnson, I think he made the decision that he'd rather not risk being put in a backup role when he feels he still has the ability to be a top-level catcher. I agree, and if the Mariners weren't going to be using his services and talents I'm glad to have him back playing in the NPB.

Fans like you did not deserve a player of his talent and class.

Totally agree about Johjima's class - just wish that there were more players with his attitude.

He took honor over $$$$ ... we saw that with Kaz Sasaki too.

He can not leave after 2008. The opt-out clause can only be used after 2009.

Johjima just has made a contract, $22 million for 4 years (plus incentive?), with the Hanshin Tigers.

As you know, living cost in Japan is higher and tax is very high for rich men. But he is happy in Japan that is his country. Johjima has said he will never forget wonderful days in Seattle.

He essentially took a paycut to leave M's to return to Japan.

I guess this can quiet all the Johjima doubters about Johjima's true intention.

I always like the guy and feel he was the end of your typical overreaction by many Seattle fans due to the team losing.

Well I wouldnt rule out that the M's gave him money for the difference he was going to lose.....

It's not "my" overreaction. I had always thought Johjima is the best catcher available in M's organization.

While he is not Joe Mauer, but I think he is more like a Dan Wilson type of player. If Wilson is so beloved by M's fans, I don't know why JOhjima is hated so much by overreacting M's fans.

You pretty much said it. Overreaction. Irrationality. When are people going to stop thinking with their guts and start thinking with their brains?

pay cut? Not in total. Catchers in their 30s are toward the end. For him to get a 4 year contract, is not something he would have gotten in north america. What the Ms paid him, was disproportionate to his performance, in a capsule, everything that is wrong with the Ms, non-baseball info driving contract decisions.

KJ could not excel in MLB, the best baseball in the world, so he crawled back to Japan. Why he was paid so much back over there is a mystery, his lack of production, and poor pitch calling over here, proved he is not a premier catcher.