Question: Nobuhiko Matsunaka

I'm a Seattle Mariner fan, and I'm curious about Nobuhiko Matsunaka.

I read that he had recently signed a new three year contract, for about 1.05 billion yen plus performance benefits.

With his new contract kept in mind, my questions are: What would everyone here say the chance could be that (1) Matsunaka's contract could be re-negotiated, and (2) that he would ever dare option himself to play in the North America?

In the first place, would he ever want to do this? Secondly, would his present team ever allow a chance for it? Or is Matsunaka pretty well set where he is?

I ask these things because the Seattle Mariners certainly need another excellent production player to balance out Ichiro's many hits; Ichiro gets on base almost twice as often as the next guys, so - naturally - he is often "left on-base" twice as often as the next guys, too.

The Mariners desperately need another excellent production player who can closely equate to Ichiro's wonderful production, so that when such a player falls into a slump, he doesn't blank-out over Ichiro's production entirely, but at least keeps average play going, so that when such a star drops into a slump, he can still at least be there. So when Ichiro drops into a slump, his team mate could be there, too. Know what I mean? Anyway, the Mariners essentially need someone who could help them capitalize on Ichiro's production, plus the Mariners could use another player with great production, plus the Mariners could possibly use a first-baseman.

So, I ask anybody who may know - with the proper compensations in exchange for a dropped contract, are the big contracts ever changed or dropped in Japan? Would Matsunaka ever option himself to play for the Seattle Mariners, to pair up with Ichiro?

While I doubt it to be a possibility, I ask merely to satisfy my curiosity; pre-thanks goes to any responders.