Report: Willie Bloomquist close to signing with Seattle Mariners
It looks like Willie Bloomquist’s three-year stint in the desert is over.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the veteran utility player is close to leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks to sign a deal with the Seattle Mariners.
Sources: Bloomquist deal with #Mariners is $5.8M for two years.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 2, 2013
This would be Bloomquist’s second stint with Seattle, the team that selected him in the third round of the 1999 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State. He played in parts of seven seasons for the Mariners, hitting .263 with six home runs and 98 RBI before signing with the Kansas City Royals prior to the 2009 season.
After being granted free agency in 2010, Bloomquist signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks. In 2011, he played a key role for the NL West champion D-backs, playing in 97 games and hitting .266 with four home runs and 26 RBI while filling in at shortstop for the injured Stephen Drew.
He then re-signed with Arizona on a one-year deal with a mutual option for a second season.
In three seasons in Arizona, Bloomquist hit .289 with four homers and 63 runs batted in, while providing veteran leadership for manager Kirk Gibson.
