In a surprise move, the Seattle Mariners extended Kenji Johjima for three more seasons, putting him under contract through age 35.

This move absolutely makes zero sense considering the minor league depth Seattle has at catcher.  Jeff Clement, Adam Moore and Rob Johnson are all waiting in the wings.  What does this mean for Clement?  We had just heard that his defense was improving by leaps and bounds and he’s the offensive player Seattle has needed for a long time.  Will he finally be forced to abandon catching duties?  KOMO’s Shannon Drayer told us over the offseason that Clement was completely opposed to a position switch, so I can only assume that this won’t make him very happy.  Does this move mean Clement is on the verge of being traded for a bat?  Please, no.

The reason I’m upset with this signing is that I was calling for Seattle to trade or bench Johjima just weeks ago, not because of his offensive struggles but because of his game calling (Note: the starters continue to respond to Burke much better than they do to Johjima).

All that said and my personal bias aside, Johjima is a solid offensive catcher and is one of the best at throwing out base stealers.  Seattle reportedly signed him on the cheap, though no numbers have surfaced, so it may not be a horrible contract.  However, if there is a no-trade clause or a vesting option attached I may have to bang down GM Bill Bavasi’s door.

I would go into this in much more deal, but I have zero time today.  I’m sure this is something we’ll be discussing for a while.

Sources: USSM, Seattle P-I