=== Pro Ball NW ===

Jon has an article up on Dustin Ackley.  His comprehensive series on the 40-man roster is indexed at Mariner Central.  PBNW ought to have a widget in the sidebar, allowing fast access to each of these articles.  They could even run RotoTimes style updates.  Might even take us on the inside corner for #3 blog ;- )

PBNW has mastered that which SSI never did - the art of avoiding the trite.  So, the Ackley post is commendably terse.  You know that SSI will be able to wring another 10,000 words out of the Carew comps and SX projections.

Jon's opinion seems to be that Ackley has some work to do at second.  It would surprise SSI if that were not true.  He's adjusting to pro ball first and foremost, and now you're adding in the element of a very unfamiliar set of angles to the ball.

Some time to find his inner Julio Cruz would be well advised.

.

=== The $15M Infield ===

When I was a kid there was some team, maybe the 70s Dodgers with Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey, that was the first one to total $1M in salary.  Seems like later there was some 4-star infield that had $1M in salary per player.

.................

Hey, you know what?  An Angels fan wondered this week, why Figgins doesn't play shortstop.

True, it's not common for any player to move over to SS past the age of 30.  That's partly because it's not common for any player to move to a tougher position at all, past 30.

But the jittery-quick Figgins' range, right now, is obviously excellent, and the Angels' fans tell us that Figgy has "an absolute hose" for an arm.  In Tango's Fan ratings, Angels' fans give Figgins (as a 3B) the 2nd-highest "arm strength" rating they gave any Angel.

If Figgins is one of the fastest players in MLB, and one of the defensive-fastest IF's, and if he has a power 3B arm.... well, isn't that what a SS is?  A second baseman, add arm?

.................

Pokey Reese was a SS as a rookie, but then became famous as a 2B.  Until the Red Sox moved him over to SS, broadly speaking, to win their 2004 championship.

Examples of 2B's/3B's moving to SS would be kinda rare, but they would exist.  Wonder if you guys can think of a few.

Granted, James advised us not to bounce Figgins around.  But we have a glam 2B prospect, a glam 3B prospect, and Figgins is a natural SS.  Not a natural 2B.  Figgins has the arm.

Figgins has, it turns out, played 27 games in the big leagues at SS, with a better-than-average 4.72 range factor.  In the minors, he played about 300 games at short.  Apparently he was moved away from SS in the won't-pay-attention salad days of his youth.

The M's, who are neurotic about flexibility, never tried Figgy at short -- perhaps thinking along with James.  But if Jack Wilson steps on a sunflower seed and blows his hammy, I'll take Figgy over Josh Wilson, thanks.

.................

Wilson is signed for two years, of course, but what about when he goes down?  I wonder...

Really am thinking about what occurs when Ackley and Tui are both ready to play full time.  What about this:

• 1B Adrian Gonzalez (Pena, whoever)
• 2B Dustin Ackley
• SS Chone Figgins
• 3B Matt Tuiasosopo

There's your $15M infield, except two of 'em would be playing for free.  If Tui rolled 7's and became a 35-homer man, that would be the best offensive infield since... when?

Just noodlin',

Dr D