The Kenji Situation
Perhaps one of the more important stories of the winter that has gotten very little coverage so far is how the teams situation with Kenji Johjima gets resolved. We’ve all watched as he’s seen his offense take a step back the last two years, and while his work throwing out runners this season has been terrific, the fact that hardly anyone on the team likes pitching to him is no secret. He’s essentially been turned into a very expensive back-up catcher, and the only reason he’s still around is the contract extension he was given last year.
He’s scheduled to be paid $8 million in each of the next two years before the deal expires. However, with Adam Moore finishing up a strong season in Tacoma and the front office’s stated enthusiasm about his abilities, along with the pitchers fondness for Rob Johnson, and the Mariners would almost certainly prefer that Johjima spends the 2010 season with another team. How that plays itself out will be interesting and important to the reshaping of the club.
There have been rumors since the contract was signed that it contained an opt-out clause after the 2009 season, which would allow Kenji to go back to Japan if he wished. Other rumors suggest that the clause may not depend on his wishes at all, believing he could be asked to use the clause to void the rest of his contract and free the M’s from a burden they don’t particularly want Geoff Baker reminds me that he covered the opt-out clause last year, and that it exists, but is limited in what it covers. Read his story for better context. Given his current levels of production, salary, and age, along with the language barrier issue, and there’s approximately a 0.0% chance that another team would trade for Johjima and give him a starting job next year. If Kenji wants to play everyday, his only chance to do that is in Japan.
However, that assumes a lot of things. Primarily, that this opt-out clause even exists, but also that Kenji would choose regular playing time over a pretty nifty guaranteed salary the next two seasons Per Baker’s note, the opt-out can’t be used for playing time issues. The M’s got a pretty nice bargain on him the first two seasons he was here, so it’s entirely possible that he feels completely fine with being an expensive backup to finish out his career in America.
If that’s true, then Kenji is just the catching version of Carlos Silva – an overpaid old guy that the M’s don’t really want but can’t easily get rid of. And in that scenario, we’re really going to find out just how big of a magician Jack Z really is, because turning Johjima into something the M’s might be able to get some value out of will not be easy.
There’s also the possibility that this will get resolved in a way that we just won’t know the details about. Derek and I talked about this a little bit during the USSM event last month, but there’s a decent chance that Kenji ends up going back to Japan with a briefcase full of money, and while it may look like he “opted-out” of the deal, the M’s could still end up adjusting their budget to account for his stop at the ATM machine before he caught his flight. Even if Kenji does go back to Japan after the season, we can’t assume that all $8 million of his salary if off the books, and we can be pretty darn sure the M’s won’t mention how large of a going away present he got at the press conference.
Don’t bet on Johjima coming to spring training with the M’s next year. How that happens, I don’t know that anyone knows. How it plays out will be one of the more interesting stories of the winter.
I remember a couple years ago when Kenji was a Type A free agent. *sigh* Thank you Japanese ownership.
The full back story on that contract extension would probably make for interesting reading — and I’m talking about the full story including the wheels within wheels all the way back to Japan. Too bad the east isn’t more scrutable.
Lately I’ve wracked my brain a few times trying to find a match with another MLB team where the M’s could potentially swap Kenji’s honorous contract for another bad contract.
Not a lot of options, honestly. Obviously the truly hideous contracts like Zito, Wells, Soriano, Michael Young, etc. are out of the question, as they are longer and more expensive than Kenji.
I was truly hoping the Blue Jays might swap Rios for Kenji, with the M’s eating some of Kenji’s contract, but that was before the Blue Jays dumped Rios for nada. Unfortunately, many of the other bad contracts out there are outfielders, the one position the M’s don’t really need.
JD Drew is kind of like Adrian Beltre, in that despite the common perception that his contract is bad, it really isn’t. Maybe if Drew played for a team with a dumber front office there would be a match, but the Red Sox are too smart.
Jose Guillen? No.
Milton Bradley? The Cubs might have some interest in dumping Bradley and the M’s might have some interest in Bradley as a DH, but I can’t see the Cubs having interest in Kenji since they already have 2 better catching options.
Aaron Rowand? Don’t need OF.
Oliver Perez? He is certainly unappealing enough that the Mets might have some interest. At least has some potential to be a useful piece.
Francisco Cordero? He’s overpaid, but he’s useful and I doubt the Reds would consider it. Heck, I doubt they realize Cordero is overpaid.
Magglio Ordonez (as a DH)? Offense seems to be dropping off quickly, particularly his power, and Safeco wouldn’t help a resurgence. Potentially more useful than Kenji, but pretty debateable.
Juan Pierre? M’s don’t need OF.
That was the long way of saying, I don’t see any realistic fits out there. Milton Bradley might be the best hope, but the Cubs don’t need a catcher.
And Milton could possibly derail some of the good will that’s been building in the clubhouse.
Kenji looks like a sunk cost at this point. I really don’t want to be making a MISSING Adam Moore poster next year.
Honorous?
You know, like the John LeCarre novel — “The Honorous Schoolboy”?
Honorous?
I think he meant “onerous”.
Joh can join the washed out mariners of Bavasi era signings all star list, including such stars as Vidro at DH, Sexson at 1B, Aurilla at SS, Miguel Cairo as the Supersub, Carlos Silva as Ace, and Carl Everett, the dinosaur hunter.
Yes, that’s what I figured, I just thought the connotations of the misspelling were curious enough to be worth highlighting.
“Honorous” is almost like a Freudian slip… For the sake of the organization’s future, Kenji leaving with a heap of large unmarked bills is actually an honorable move on his part. I am by no means an expert on Japanese culture, but honor still means something to this day over there. So if ownership feels the same way, it’s more than just possible Kenji will be convinced to leave; it’s actually likely.
*end of gratuitous stereotype-riddled speculation*
My guess is that the three most likely options, in no particular order, are a) going back to Japan, b) staying on as a backup, or c) retiring altogether.
Not only is there no serious prospect for a trade, but I doubt that Kenji would even want to play for another MLB team. I don’t sense a ‘need to prove something’ motivation.
I also think that whatever amount of money would have to be stuffed into Kenji’s pockets to get him back to Japan will not be a concern for the GM. That sunk cost will probably be considered a cost extraneous to the player payroll, and thus not constitute an impact on salaries/signings for next year.
Every example in the history of the current ownership group has shown that this will not be the case.
Ah Yes the Bavasi All Stars. I distinguish those who got their last big paycheck from the M’s never to really play again: Sexson, Silva, Joh, Everett, Vidro, Batista, Perez, Rick White, Cairo, from those who were poor fits (Aurilia at SS, H Ramirez) nd otherwise had reasonable endings to their careers elsewhere.
Yeah, I got a bit of a chuckle out of it too.
Agreed, Derek. It might be one thing if Johjima’s contract were the only salary albatross, then Z might be able to convince ownership given the bargains he’s found elsewhere. But with Silva’s contract, too, forget it. Plus, expecting the M’s to just eat $16,000,000 in “sunk costs,” not even counting the rest owed to Silva? Like my grandfather was fond of saying, “There are two types of money, mine and yours. Guess which one spends easier?”
Agreed. But this is the only one I can remember where I’m assuming a mandate on the part of Japan. Even on Ichiro, I think there was unanimous agreement on the wisdom of the deal.
I think it’s debatable to say that HoRam ever really pitched after leaving the Mariners. Of course, it’s equally debatable whether he ever pitched for the Mariners, either.
So THAT’S how they’re going to spend the Sasaki fund…
🙂
I find it amazing that either Aurilia or Cirillo had any careers at all after leaving Seattle.
Money paid to Johjima as part of him leaving the team will be treated in the financials in whatever fashion results in the most advantageous treatment for the team in the financial reports made to the Public Facilities District that owns Safeco.
As a guess I would say that the team would want to write off the expense as quickly as possible, so as to minimize any amounts credited against historic team operating “losses”.
****
Of course, what the team says publicly about how the money is handled could be quite different. And while the money may not be treated as a current expense for accounting purposes, for budgeting and operating purposes it could be included as a charge against future payrolls as the team seeks to recoup the cash paid out.
Without this mythical opt-out clause, I can’t see Kenji giving up much of his salary. Maybe he would give up some small amount to go back to the Japanese leagues but it won’t be a big savings for the Mariners.
If the team really feels like Adam Moore is ready next year and Rob Johnson is better than Kenji, then they’ll just have to eat the money.
Wouldn’t it be amusing if the M’s “posted” him for bid to Japanese teams?
I wish this was a case of my wit showing through, rather than my glaring inability to spell. I knew the spelling was wrong, but didn’t know the right spelling and was a little too lazy to look. Glad it amused a few people though.
Actually, I was thinking that acquiring Milton Bradley would help offset the clubhouse losses of Junior and Sweeney. I thought everyone agreed this just isn’t that big of a deal. If your club wins, chemistry tends to build itself. Unless everyone is doing cocaine (here’s looking at you late 1980’s Mets).
Wow. Thanks for that.
Actually, a better way to put it would have been “I had already spent more time at work than I should looking at Cot’s Baseball Contracts” rather than saying I was too lazy. I am occasionally lazy, but is anyone already sitting at a computer too lazy to spellcheck?
I remember watching a special on Indians GM Mark Shapiro. In it, they showed his “wall” listing every position and which players he thought was best at it. Surprisingly Kenji was second…
Really I think he just needs a change of scenery.
Shapiro? Yeah, he must be going crazy locked up in there if he’s forced to make coded pleas for help like that.
If there is a team in Japan that would pay Kenji to play for them (some amount smaller than what the M’s are paying, of course), maybe the M’s could decide to eat most of his salary and let him go. That would be better than just releasing him. Maybe they could get 10% of his remaining pay covered by a team in Japan. OK, not a lot better than releasing him.
Bavasi works for the Reds, right? Give BB a call & remind him that Kenji:
1) is still dripping with veteran grit “Only he calls it Wa!”
2) once hit .291/.332/.451 with 18 HR, so that’s the baseline for his future going forward, natch. “Not to mention serious sock from the catcher position.”
3) Veteran grit! You can’t put enough emphasis on veteran grit!
I’ll hope for a Sasaki-like return to Japan – no, make that I’ll pray for it.
If Jack Z can’t pull off something to make Jo disappear, just how bad would it be to go into next year with Kenji as the backup again? Mainly, do the poor guys who have to throw to him (Fister and French now, some other couple non-vets next year) suffer greatly from it? Because it doesn’t sound like Moore is ready to seize the #1 catching job next spring, so he should stay in Tacoma until he is.
Give him to the St. Louis Cardinals.
If Spezio, Franklin, and Pineiro could all resurrect their careers there, maybe Kenji will become a HoFer.
The extension and the size of it was weird, and typical of mgmt. at the time.
However, given that Washburn led the anti-Joh movement, even though the other details are clouded I feel the pitching staff has treated him rather shabbily. And nobody yet has given a reason I’ve heard that made baseball sense.
Given the catcher considered #1 now, I find it to be ridiculous. Why would any pitcher who knows baseball WANT Johnson, who evidently trained for batboy or something, behind the plate instead? A nicer smile? Handjobs before and after?
“Handjobs before and after?”
With the daily “attack of the tickle monster” with Griffey making people call him their “daddy” and other such things; Silva kissing everyone in site; Sweeney’s bear hugs; and more common smacking of bottoms; who knows really? 😉
If only Kenji had some to Seattle one year earlier.
Then he would have been a member of the 2005 Seattle Mariners, a team Dayton Moore is desperately trying to recreate.
This is not a rosterbation thread. Please.
Well, I went through “horrific,” “horrendous,” and “malodorous” before figuring out what you were trying to say, which is a pretty good summary really.
You know there’s these things called… computers, right? Remarkably, they are able to detect and in many cases correct misspelled words. I suggest using either Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome as your browser, as both provide automatic spell-checking (including nice red undersquiggles) that will kick in when you write comments here. (And I’m pretty sure undersquiggle is the correct term, because it didn’t get one).
Heck, Spiezio had a brief wink of a career after leaving Seattle (including another WS ring, which is proof the perversity of the universe tends towards a maximum, or god is an iron, or something). All of them in the NL, of course, where second acts (and hitting) are easier; — F. Scott Fitzgerald must’ve played in the AL. (Speaking of der Spiez, I keep expecting him to turn up on one of those reality shows living in a house with washed-up former child stars. Or on “Cops.” Or just in an obituary).
Sorry, but undersquiggle gets an undersquiggle in my browser. It makes a great neologism, though.
Considering the Japanese ownership and their insistence on the Johjima extension, are the Mariners free to trade him or just release him if that’s their preference? Or would that not be considered honorous?
Also, I have heard of Major League teams selling players contracts to Japanese teams, are they able to do that if they choose to?
It’s a shame, I like watching Kenji throw out baserunners. So, in a few years, will my son’s Johjima shirt look awesome or silly? Or neither?
Neither, probably. Most fans outside of Seattle will likely have forgotten him five or six years from now.
I think Johjima has been doing pretty nice work with Snell and RRS, at least.
Joh is a sunk cost and as someone else mentioned, I don’t see why Rob Johnson should be considered the #1 catcher going into 2010. And Moore can’t be ready yet.
Dave, do you think 100% that Johjima is gone?
You have written so many times that Miguel Batista should be deep sixed and it never happens.
Also, I always thought the pitchers hating to pitch to Johjima was greatly exaggerated. Yes, there were some pitchers, but most of them were using it as an excuse for their poor pitching performances.
Remember some of those same people were the ones that were bagging on Ichiro the last few years. complaining is what some of those players did best. It certainly wasn’t baseball.
Doug Fister, Ian Snell and Ryan Rowland-Smith don’t seem to mind pitching to Johjima. Once this team began to get rid of the cancerous players, I don’t think that pitching to Johjima was really a problem.
I think most of us believe that Adam Moore will eventually be the catcher for the Mariners. We also know that Kenji has no trade value. What do you think of a scenario in that Johnson is traded. He is young, cheap and does have value. He could be used as a chip in a package for something more valuable.
That would leave Kenji and Moore to play in the same situation that Kenji and Johnson play this year.
Work computer = stuck with IE. I use Firefox at home, and indeed “undersquiggle” was undersquiggled (which was also undersquiggled). So I blame work, rather than my own laziness!
You could always trade him to KC. Dayton Moore would surely want him, maybe even too play 1B or DH.
I was thinking the same, especially since Meche, Bloomquist and Guillen would endorse the deal.
Perhaps the Mariners could give Kenji a real important mission for the remainder of his contract. Johjima is a very charming and gracious fellow. Would he be willing to travel with a few suitcases full of money to secure Yu Darvish from Nippon Ham Fighters?
Once the deal was sealed, Johjima could mentor and catch Darvish until he felt at home in the big leagues. With his mission accomplished, Kenji could triumphantly head back home with his World Series ring for a farewell tour with the SoftBank Hawks.
I am only half kidding about a deal like this one. When they first signed Kenji, fans like me figured that Bavasi wanted him because they had arms like Daisuke Matsuzaka on the radar and in the future budget.
Of course, instead of thinking crazy thoughts and signing Matsuzaka in 2006 for $52 million over 6 years, we picked up Silva in 2007 for 4 years and spent $48 million. I hate gambling with huge long term contracts as much as the next guy. However, if you are gonna be foolhardy with money, it helps to display a modicum of sense or logic.
No doubt, Dice-K would have been nicer to Kenji in the clubhouse too.