1
Including exact nature of the contract, backroom conversations with Joh & his agent...
But this feels to me like it has more to do with Yamauchi and the Bavasi-led M's show of respect to Joh by giving him the big contract when he wasn't exactly lighting the world on fire, than Z's clout and acumen. I guess that this happens almost regardless of who the GM is.
Looks to me like the M's still have a competetive advantage in the marketplace w/r/t Japanes talent. It may not manifest itself in players signed, or contract dollars, just in other ways like this. And this is a biggie.