Daiei Hawks catcher Kenji Jojima re-signed with the Pacific League club for an annual salary of 400 million yen on Saturday, becoming the highest paid catcher in Japanese baseball.
The 27-year-old Jojima, who made 200 million yen his year, will be making 100 million yen more than veteran catcher Atsuya Furuta of the Yakult Swallows.
Jojima, batted .330 with 34 homers, 182 hits and 119 RBIs -- all career highs -- in 140 games for the Hawks in 2003.
Meanwhile, infielder Tadahito Iguchi will receive three times the money he did in 2003 after re-signing with the Hawks on Saturday for an annual salary of 240 million yen.
Iguchi had a career high .340 average this past season and drove in 109 runs.
Right-hander Brandon Knight and infielder Julio Zuleta have also agreed to contracts for 2004, the team said.