Officials for the Seattle Mariners and the agent representing Orix BlueWave slugger Ichiro Suzuki failed to reach an agreement Friday on a contract for the seven-time Pacific League batting champion.
Seattle's top front office official Howard Lincoln and team president Chuck Armstrong will meet again Saturday with agent Tony Attanasio after the two sides could not come to an accord that would make Suzuki the first Japanese position player in the major leagues.
Armstrong told reporters that the two sides had tried their best throughout the talks, but added that they had not been able to work out all of the details.
Seattle, which advanced to the American League Championship Series this season, won exclusive negotiating rights to Suzuki with a bid of over $13 million earlier this month. Under an agreement between Japan and the North American major leagues, the Mariners and Suzuki will have until Dec. 9 to finalize a contract or the 27-year-old outfielder will return to Orix for another season before he can be put up for auction again next November.