No snag for M's, Sasaki

Sasaki is turning his back on Seattle and the major leagues, preferring to stay at home in Japan. There was concern the Major League Baseball Players Association would provide an obstacle to a quick resolution, not wanting to see a player walk away from a huge contract.

It was the union, after all, that shot down the Texas Rangers' Alex Rodriguez-to-Boston deal last month by not letting Rodriguez and the Red Sox scale down the size of Rodriguez's contract.

There is, says Gene Orza, no comparison between the situations.

Orza, the No. 2 man at the players' union, said yesterday the union would give its blessing to Sasaki's move home. The closer has a contract for $8 million this season, $500,000 in reachable incentives and a $1 million buyout for the 2005 season.

"I understand Kaz's situation," Orza said. "He doesn't want to play here anymore. We have no reservations about that. In essence, he's retiring from the major leagues. Maybe he will play in Japan again. Who are we to say he can't do that?

"With A-Rod, he wanted to stay in the U.S. and play for a different team. That's a different issue. There's really no comparison."

Orza said the union would do whatever it takes to speed the process, including getting around the sometimes tricky business of termination pay.

The difference, Orza said, is this time it isn't the club orchestrating the move, but the player.

"This is a request by the player, and because of that, I think you'll see a waiver of termination pay," Orza said.

Since this situation is close to being unique, there are no steadfast rules. The Mariners could simply release Sasaki, which would be followed by the other 29 clubs letting him pass unclaimed on waivers.

Or Sasaki could be put on the voluntarily retired list.

Either way, the Mariners would need to have it down on paper that Sasaki wouldn't be due termination pay, or any of the more than $9 million he otherwise would collect before starting the process.

"The club needs protection against any subsequent (financial) claim by the player," Orza said.

Meanwhile, Sasaki said at a news conference yesterday afternoon he wished the Mariners well and said the club "warmly supported me."

"I want to play baseball living with the family," he said. "There is a thing more precious than money. The thing is that my kids told me, 'Papa, stay in Japan.' "

Sasaki, 35, said he had been thinking about the move even before that bit of family lobbying.

Countryman Ichiro Suzuki, who has no plans to follow a similar course, has assimilated well and spends about 11 months a year living in the States. Ichiro expressed surprise and regret that Sasaki would no longer be a teammate.

"I've (always) wanted to play behind a closer like Sasaki," the Mariners right fielder said. "He is also a person who fervently courted me (when) I wanted to come to play in the major leagues. I'm surprised, and I will miss him."

Reach P-I reporter John Hickey at 206-448-8004 or johnhickey@seattlepi.com

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