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If had to make a prediction today, I'm stuck in the middle. I don't have any insider information on whether or not Ackley will move to left field when he comes up, or if he'll get some time in left at Triple-A Tacoma to get acclimated, which would make a lot of sense. But if you see that lineup even once in Tacoma it's not for no reason, it's because that's where Ackley is likely play when he makes the jump.
Ackley's progress at secondEvery time someone asks me about Ackley's progress at second base I say things like "he's fine," or "he still looks like an outfielder to me." And that isn't because I don't think he can "handle" the position, because I do. I just don't think he'd ever be really good there. I do think he'd be a good defensive left fielder, or even centerfielder.
He says he has heard that the team "is actually considering, or at least have considered" Ackley as the new starting left fielder.
Um...okay.  I would have considered it too.  And then I would have discounted it, since you can't tell a kid "we're keeping you in the minors to work on your defense" for a year and a half, then move him to LF to make room for a 35 year old journeyman to keep him at his 2B position while making basically nothing.
It's not a "hey, Pujols is playing first so you need to play somewhere else" situation. Kennedy is not Pujols, and he's not in next year's plans.  He can move.  No, he hasn't played LF in the bigs.  Neither has Ackley.  Ackley is a CF who blew his arm out, moved to 1B, then back to CF for the AFL for us, then to 2B.  And now you want him to play LF because we're stupid and don't have a LF worth anything?
He's your #1 hitting prospect.  If you have Russ Branyan at 1B and Justin Smoak coming up, you don't move Smoak to DH for a year because Branyan is blocking him.  Branyan moves.
Kennedy should move.  I know 2B is his position, but he's not playing 2B for us next year, Ackley is.  The only way - ONLY way - I put Ackley in the OF for us at this point is if Guti goes down again.  Ackley has plenty of experience in CF and Kennedy can cover 2B, and that's an injury cover not a "Peguero, Wilson and Saunders all failed, so get me another warm body to fill the position" sort of move.
LF is the 2nd easiest place to field.  What's easier?  DH.  I know people believe it's "trickier" to play it in Safeco and you need a good fielder there, but every other place on the diamond is MORE tricky.
Kennedy can stand out in LF and shag flies.  It's not the world's most complicated job.  If he can't hack it, then let Figgins play there - he has 300 games in the OF.  Kennedy has 90 at 3B, more than any other position but his favorite of 2B.  Heck, CUST can stand out there and let balls bounce off his head.  He's done it plenty before.
Ackley CAN play LF, but so can anyone.  Smoak could play it, but I'm not gonna ask him to.  Smoak is our 1B of the foreseeable future, just as Ackley is our 2B.  If Ackley proves on the field he CANNOT stay at 2B, then he can take over in CF for Guti in a few years and play it as well as Saunders has, certainly. 
I would be very surprised if we did this to Ackley right now - bounce him off his position just as he's getting comfortable because we don't want to disturb Adam Kennedy's groove.
It could happen, and Ackley would deal with it with his normal aplomb.  But you don't tug on Superman's cape, and you don't turn your top hitting prospect into a utility player unnecessarily.
IMO.
~G

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