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Seattle Mariners DFA Willie Bloomquist, recall Chris Taylor
Posted on July 2, 2015 | By Stephen Cohen



The Seattle Mariners continued overhauling their lineup on Thursday, designating utilityman Willie Bloomquist for assignment and recalling shortstop Chris Taylor from Triple-A Tacoma.

Bloomquist broke the news of his release himself on Twitter, with CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reporting the longtime veteran had been DFA’d minutes later.

“Just want to thank all of you Mariner fans for a lifetime of memories in a mariner uniform,” Bloomquist wrote on Twitter. “Can’t thank you enough for 7 1/2 memorable yrs!”

The 37-year-old struggled in 2015 after undergoing season-ending microfracture surgery on his right knee last August, managing just a .159 batting average in 72 plate appearances while playing six different positions in the field.

The Port Orchard native was the Mariners’ third-round draft choice out of Arizona State in 1999 and spent the majority of his 14-year MLB career in Seattle. His first stint with the M’s lasted from 2002 to 2008, and after stops in Kansas City, Cincinnati and Arizona, he re-signed with the club that drafted him in December 2013.


He becomes the third member of the team’s Opening Day roster to be banished from the big league club, joining outfielders Justin Ruggiano (DFA’d on June 4) and Rickie Weeks (released on June 21).

The 24-year-old Taylor entered spring training with a chance to compete with Brad Miller for the starting shortstop position, but suffered a broken bone in his wrist on March 13 that knocked him out of action for more than a month.

After recovering from surgery to repair the fracture and making a brief stop in Tacoma, Taylor rejoined the big league club on May 4, but struggled with his bat, compiling just 10 hits in 68 plate appearances (good for a .159 batting average).

He was sent back down to Triple-A on June 1 and batted .272 in 27 games.

Taylor had an impressive debut with the Mariners in 2014, batting .287 in 27 games.