Notebook: Japanese star Jojima has his eye on Seattle

Kenji Jojima, the highly regarded Japanese catcher, has reportedly landed in Los Angeles, ready to begin the process of pursuing his free agency.

Whether he will land with the Mariners is an open question, but they are on his short list of preferred suitors — probably at the top of his list, according to recent Japanese media reports.

Jojima, 29, officially becomes a free agent today. His agent will be Alan Nero, who also represents Cardinals outfielder So Taguchi — as well as Bengie Molina, another top catcher on this year's free-agent market.

"He [Jojima] is not a free agent yet, but my guess is we would certainly have interest in Seattle," Nero said Monday by phone. "If you use logic, there are five or six teams that have had success importing Japanese players, and obviously Seattle probably has the best track record of doing that.

"You want to put a player in a place he can succeed, and I think Seattle would be a wonderful place for him and his family."

Nero said that Jojima wants to visit prospective cities and "we're definitely going to Seattle."

Sports Nippon, a Japanese newspaper, reported recently that Seattle had already prepared a No. 2 Mariners jersey (Jojima's number with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) with his name on the back.

But that appears to be a bit premature. The Mariners, while prepared to do their due diligence on Jojima, are said to be reluctant to make a significant financial commitment at catcher when their most pressing needs are in the pitching and left-handed power departments.

If Jojima is going to command a contract in the three-year, $18 million range, as some have speculated, the Mariners will have a tough time getting involved. They believe that they can get by next year with a catching combination of Rene Rivera and Yorvit Torrealba, while waiting for highly regarded catching prospects Jeff Clement (last year's No. 1 pick) and Rob Johnson to become major-league ready.

That doesn't deal with the communication issue, as Jojima attempts to become the first Japanese catcher to play in the majors. He has said he will return to the Fukuoka Hawks if he doesn't find a suitable job in the major leagues.

"One thing he wants to do and we want to do is make sure everyone is totally comfortable," Nero said. "He's going through a big exploration, a big cultural experience, and he has to be confident his wife and family will be secure."

Jojima's Japanese credentials are impressive. He averaged .299, 30 homers and 100 runs batted in over seven seasons, though it is problematic how the power would translate to Safeco Field. Last year, he hit .309 with 24 homers and 57 RBI before a season-ending shin injury in September.

Morris a possibility?

On the surface, free-agent right-hander Matt Morris would seem to be an unlikely fit for the Mariners. Born in New York, he attended Seton Hall in New Jersey, and has a home in Jupiter, Fla., where the Cardinals conduct spring training.

But Morris' agent, Barry Axelrod, said his client is open-minded about the American League in general, and the Mariners in particular. The Mariners have already called Axelrod to register interest in Morris, who went 14-10 last year for St. Louis.

"What a lot of people don't know is he has a home in Big Sky, Montana, and loves spending time there," Axelrod said. "He has no preclusions about pitching in the American League, or pitching on the West Coast.

"Obviously, he has a lot of ties to St. Louis. You're talking about a guy who's been with the Cardinals his whole career. But he told me he's not tied to there; maybe for the first time in his career, he's willing to look around."

Axelrod said he'll get a better feel for the interest of the Mariners and other clubs after Friday, when teams are permitted to negotiate salary.

Moyer a free agent

It took 12 days, but Jamie Moyer officially filed for free agency on Monday, beating the deadline by three days.

The Mariners, whose front-office personnel were in Indian Wells, Calif., Monday for the opening of the general managers' meeting, have exclusive negotiating rights with Moyer until Friday. They are believed to be talking to him about coming back in 2006 for his 11th season with the club. He turns 43 on Nov. 18.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com