.

=== Is There Something I ... er, You Should Say ===

Geoff Baker fired off an eyebrow-raising salvo this week:

No matter what the Mariners say in public, there is plenty of internal debate going on about where Franklin’s future lies. They aren’t sure whether he’s better off at shortstop or second base. Yes, I know the excuse for his Arizona Fall League time at second base was a valid one, that another team affiliated with the Peoria club had a designated “priority” player at the shorstop position who had to be played there ahead of Franklin.

But that doesn’t explain Franklin playing second base as much as he did in AAA last year. ....

If the M’s view Franklin as a second baseman, we already know Dustin Ackley is there and that Kyle Seager would probably be better at second than at third base. So, get in line.

We also know that AA shortstop Miller is highly valued by top Seattle executives for his intangibles. They see him as having a certain “it” factor that doesn’t automatically show up in stats. They see him as a leader and a winner and a gamer, much in the Seager mode. If I had to put money on Miller or Franklin as the starting shortstop in two or three years, it would be Miller.

That means, you either make Franklin your future second baseman or you trade him. No two ways around it.

Never ceases to boggle Dr. D's mind:  people pay (nationally, etc.) for 'insider info' that is, much of the time, the author's own opinion ... with a stapled-on implication that hey, you never know when I'm saying it because I talked to a scout.  :- )

People pay subscriber fees for that -- but then stride right past the Bakery, whistlin' Dixie, never noticing that it houses a pastry chef who IN FACT hangs around with Jack Zduriencik and Eric Wedge.  All the time.  

Hey, that's what you get for charging nothing, Geoffy. 

.........

Now, the 'plenty of internal debate' pumpkin cream cheese muffin there, I'll probably pass on that one.  Jack Zduriencik bemusedly listened to all kinds of 'internal debate' about Dustin Ackley playing second base, nodded along sagely, and then one day he pointed out to the right side of the infield and said "Ackley's at second."  And fifty mouths snapped shut so fast you could hear their teeth click.

Franklin plays short if Zduriencik likes his glove there.  Next subject.

.........

The infield being too crowded for Nick Franklin and Dustin Ackley both ... maybe.  Lemme pull rank a little here with my own F-500 shtick:  execs keep their options open until the last second.  Trust me on this one.  So much can go wrong, like tomorrow it can go horribly wrong, and you've still gotta be - on time - under budget - and okay'ed by the auditor.

Example:  bidding on Mike Napoli ... and winding up with Jesus Montero and John Jaso your only catchers.  And whoops, here's Kendrys Morales.  And Raul Ibanez.  And whoops, it might be something totally different in a week.

Franklin's not odd man out.  He's probably going to get his chance to land with a splash.

.........

That said, those are quibbles.  The takeaway is clear. The scenarios that put Franklin in the past tense?  They're proliferating.  The kid could be a real hitter in the bigs, and if he's valued by (say) the Marlins or DBacks at a level similar to Danny Hultzen, well, he's ML-ready and a PPRRRRRIIIIIMMMMMME trade chip.

In fact, despite SSI's love for Nick Franklin, at this point he becomes our favorite trade chip, provided only that he's fully valued by our trade partners.

Will he be?  Guess here is that the answer will be "Yes," because he:

• Is ML-ready, or nearly so
• Has 42 homers in 355 career minors games, and the power will only increase
• Looks quick on the infield
• Is universally considered a "gamer"

So, on to the really interesting part of Baker's relay --

NEXT

.