Kenji Johjima is the first Japanese catcher to play in the major leagues. (Elaine Thompson/Associated Press)

The Seattle Mariners and Kenji Johjima agreed Friday to a three-year, $24-million US contract extension through 2011.

The recently struggling catcher, who turns 32 in June, would have been eligible for free agency after this season, which could have given top prospect Jeff Clement a chance in Seattle.

"Over two years ago, we had no catching in this organization. Actually, we had seven guys catching here (in 2005)," Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said Friday, discussing the stability Johjima has provided at the position.

"So we've gone from having none to probably having more catching than anyone in the major leagues."

Johjima signed a three-year, $16.54-million contract before the 2006 season to become the first Japanese catcher in the major leagues, after 11 seasons and seven Gold Glove awards with Fukuoka in Japan's Pacific League. The man with graying edges to his shortly cropped black hair has a $6.05-million base salary this season, including $850,000 in escalators he earned in previous seasons.

Johjima's new deal, which the team and agent Alan Nero had been quietly working on for two months, was somewhat of a surprise. The power-hitting Clement, the third overall draft choice in 2005, is still waiting at Triple-A Tacoma for a full-time role in the major leagues. Clement hit 20 home runs and had 80 RBIs last season at Triple-A, and entered Friday batting .375 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 19 games this season.

The Mariners also have Rob Johnson, highly regarded for his defence, sharing the catching and designated hitter jobs with Clement at Tacoma.

Clement will likely change position

Bavasi said Clement is likely to change positions now that Johjima will be around past 2008.

"Because of Jeff's bat," Bavasi said. "But we are not giving up on him as catcher. A left-handed hitting catcher with power is tough to find.

"This doesn't change his track to the major leagues at all, because his track to the major leagues is with his bat more than his glove."

Clement could become a designated hitter or a first baseman next season in Seattle. First baseman Richie Sexson's $14-million contract expires at the end of this season, and the contract of struggling DH Jose Vidro is also up this winter.

Johjima batted .291 and .287 in his first two seasons with the Mariners but was at .200 entering Friday night's game against Oakland. Seattle manager John McLaren said the uncertainty of where Johjima might play next season was affecting his catching, something Johjima denied.

"My struggling offensively has nothing to do with my contract," he said.

McLaren wasn't so sure.

"Yeah, we hope this relaxes him," McLaren said of the new deal. "I know it's been on his mind since spring training. Now it's behind him and he can go relax and play baseball."

Team paid for English lessons

With the Mariners paying for a full-time English language instructor, Johjima quickly learned enough of the language in 2006 to communicate effectively with his pitchers. A year later, the Mariners asked him to change his throwing motion in an attempt to better defend base stealers. This spring, they asked him to block the plate better.

Throughout they have tried to get Johjima to become more patient at the plate. He still tends to chase pitches out of the strike zone, though he did get his 1,500th hit on April 15 — 1,206 in Japan and 299 with Seattle.

Yet despite all the tinkering and the sense there is more to get out of him, Johjima said he had no desire to test free agency for the first time.

"This was the team that gave me a chance to play here in the major leagues," he said. "I'm sure this team had a big risk, because it was the first major league team to sign a Japanese catcher. So I respect that.

"I love this city of Seattle a lot. My family loves this city a lot. And this team has supported me."