All-star catcher Atsuya Furuta brought an agent to contract negotiations with the Yakult Swallows on Thursday, and even though he held off signing a new pact with the club, he said the talks went "smoothly."

Furuta, who is also the head of the Japanese baseball players' association, was the third player to bring a lawyer to contract negotiations this week after Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi of the Nippon Ham Fighters and Tetsuro Kawajiri of the Hanshin Tigers.

"I think the talks went smoothly. It was good that we could listen and speak frankly," Furuta said after the one-hour meeting with Yakult officials. The perennial All-Star is negotiating the details of the third season of a five-year contract with Yakult.

Tokyo lawyer Jo Kawazoe, accompanying Furuta, said: "We confirmed a number of things, such as the assumption of income taxes for Furuta's salary and the details of his salary for next year with the longer season."

Kawazoe added he did not feel there was anything "out of place" during the talks.

Furuta, 35, earned an estimated 200 million yen this past season, in which he played in 134 games and hit .278 with 14 home runs and 64 RBIs.

About 10 players are reportedly planning to bring agents to contract negotiations with their ballclubs this winter.