According to agent Scott Boras, Willie Bloomquist is drawing "a lot of interest" on the free agent market, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Boras says Bloomquist may sign with a club that considers the 33-year-old more than just a utility player.
Bloomquist's chances of returning to Arizona next season are looking slimmer, however. The two sides experienced a communication breakdown after Bloomquist declined his half of a mutual option. The D'Backs have since inked John McDonald to a two-year deal as a utility infielder and are hoping to retain Aaron Hill as well, meaning there may not be room in the infield for Bloomquist. The D'Backs and Boras talked to Piecoro about the miscommunication:
"I don't think it's up to us to lob a call," GM Kevin Towers said. "We exercised our end [of the mutual option]. We showed we wanted the player back. By exercising the option, we're pretty much saying, 'We'd like to have the player back.' By them declining, it's like, 'We don't want to come back at what you want us at.' Then, well, what do you want?"
Boras, meanwhile, said that when he turned down the option, he sent a letter to the D'Backs conveying his client's desire to return, and had been waiting for a call from the team.
"Is it our duty to be in touch with them every hour on the hour so we know nobody else signed?" Boras said. "When you want someone, you go get them. We're not the employer. They offer the contracts and pay the money. We don't…. It sounds to me like what happened is, they got upset when Willie opted out. They got emotional and they went out and signed a guy who hit .169."
