SEATTLE, KYODO, (AP) Seattle Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima will opt out of the final two years of his three-year, $24 million contract and will return to Japan to play there, the team said Monday. Johjima, the only Japan-born catcher to test his skills at the major league level, said, "This was a very difficult decision, both professionally and personally." "I feel now is the time to go home, while I still can perform at a very high level. Playing close to family and friends was a major factor," he said. The former Fukuoka Softbank Hawks star will forfeit more than $16 million by leaving Seattle early. The Hanshin Tigers have already expressed interest in acquiring Johjima. "We want him very badly," Tigers president Nobuo Minami said following the Mariners' announcement... [read full story]
