The Royals, calling Bloomquist an "ignitor," will let the 31-year-old Port Orchard product fight for a starting job at second base. If he doesn't win that, he'll come off the bench.

The signing ends Bloomquist's Mariners career, during which he plugged any hole the team had at any given time. In 540 games as a Mariner, Bloomquist batted .263 and stole 71 bases in 87 attempts.

"I thought it would have been tougher leaving, and I'm almost glad Seattle didn't make a run at me - it would have been harder to cut the cord," Bloomquist said. "They made it easier for me. I have no ill feelings toward the Mariners at all.

"It's a great city, the place where I was born and first got to the big leagues. I wish the fans and the team the best. Until they play the Royals."

For those who don't believe intensity plays a role in major league games, Bloomquist was never more than an afterthought with Seattle - the kind of player who gets in the game when someone else is tired or hurt.

Much of Bloomquist's value was as a clubhouse presence that demanded maximum effort, and it was embraced by every manager he played for - starting with Lou Piniella.

"This kid comes to play every day, and he'll play anywhere," Piniella said. "Fans might not appreciate him, but his teammates do, and I do."

Under Piniella, Bob Melvin, Mike Hargrove, John McLaren and Jim Riggleman, Bloomquist rarely started and never had as many as 250 at-bats in a season. That could change in 2009.

"They didn't make any promises, but they told me, you're going to get a chance to start, the chance to win a job at second base," Bloomquist said. "That's more than I ever had before.

"Other teams showed interest, but here I had a great offer and the opportunity to play every day. My wife said she couldn't remember the last time I looked this happy."

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