Willie Bloomquist returns to Seattle signing 2-year contract
Port Orchard native has appeared in 973 Major League games at nearly every position.
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik today announced that the club has signed free agent utility player Willie Bloomquist to a two-year contract starting with the 2014 season. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
During his 12-season Major League career, Bloomquist has played every position on the diamond except catcher and pitcher. He has seen action at shortstop (282 G, 238 GS), third base (132 G, 96 GS), center field (124 G, 94 GS), second base (123 G, 97 GS), right field (119 G, 63 GS), left field (101 G, 64 GS) and first base (37 G, 11 GS).
Bloomquist, 36, hit .317 (44x139) last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was limited to 48 games played after missing the first two months of the season with an oblique injury and another two months later in the year after breaking a bone in his hand when he was hit by a pitch.
Bloomquist was originally selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 1999 June Amateur Draft out of Arizona State University. He made his MLB debut with Seattle on Sept. 1, 2002 and appeared in 540 games for the Mariners from 2002-2008. Bloomquist was born in Bremerton and was a prep standout at Port Orchard's South Kitsap High School.