Catcher Johjima signs contract extension with Mariners

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a three-year contract extension with Japanese catcher Kenji Johjima, the team said on Friday.

Johjima, who was eligible for free agency at the end of this season, is now signed until the end of the 2011 season.

Although details of his new contract were not disclosed by Seattle, local media estimate the deal to be worth $24 million.

"As an organization, we view quality Major League catching as a scarce commodity," Mariners executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations Bill Bavasi said in a statement.

"This extension allows us to feel very comfortable with our catching depth for the foreseeable future."

Johjima, 31, joined the Mariners before the 2006 season after winning seven Gold Glove awards in 11 years with Japan's Pacific League Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks.

He ranked among the top catchers in the American League (AL), both offensively and defensively, in 2007. He was third in hits (139), fourth in average (.287) and fifth in home runs

(14).

In his rookie 2006 season, Johjima set an AL record for hits by a rookie catcher (147) while tying for first among all AL rookies with a .297 batting average.

"Joh is a durable, intelligent catcher and he's still improving his game," Mariners manager John McLaren said.

"It is a very tough adjustment to switch leagues from Japan, and he has done an outstanding job adapting his game to the U.S."

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)