Reportedly designated for assignment, Willie Bloomquist Tweets thank-you to Mariners fans

Update: The Mariners have made this move official, announcing that Willie Bloomquist has been designated for assignment while Chris Taylor has been recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.

The Mariners have yet to make an announcement but all indications are that utility man Willie Bloomquist has been designated for assignment.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has reported as much while Bloomquist Tweeted a thank-you to Mariners fans that suggests his time in Seattle is over.

Just want to thank all of you Mariner fans for a lifetime of memories in a mariner uniform. Can't thank you enough for 7 1/2 memorable yrs!

— Willie Bloomquist (@williebloom) July 2, 2015

Designating Bloomquist for assignment was considered a strong possibility as the Mariners needed to clear a roster spot for infielder Chris Taylor, who appears to be on his way back up from Triple-A Tacoma.

The 37-year-old Bloomquist, a native of Port Orchard, Wash., was hitting .159 with one extra-base hit and four RBIs while playing sparingly as a bench player for the Mariners this season. It was his second stint with Seattle, which drafted him in the third round in 1999.