D-backs finalize Bloomquist deal, turn to arbitration

Published Jan. 17, 2011 6:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

By Jack Magruder
FOXSportsArizona.com

The Diamondbacks will announce the addition of Willie Bloomquist on Tuesday, a move that will flesh out their position-player roster entering spring training.

Bloomquist, the first former ASU player to sign with the D-Backs, is to receive a one-year contract with a mutual option worth about $1 million, a source with knowledge of the process said.

The D-Backs have to clear space on the 40-man roster to add Bloomquist, the final step in making the deal official, but the process was delayed because the major league office was closed Monday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

D-Backs general manager Kevin Towers also spent Monday talking to agents ofhis four arbitration-eligible players -- Stephen Drew, Kelly Johnson, Miguel Montero and Joe Saunders -- in advance of the Tuesday morning deadline for each side filing salary arbitration numbers.

It is a soft deadline, however, because teams and players have until the actual arbitration hearing in which to negotiate. Hearings are held from Feb. 1-18 this year. The D-Backs could be expected to spend about $20 million on the four in 2011 if all go to arbitration.