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There's been tomes written as people wax poetic about this individual player or that one in regards to the quality of their defensive skill.  And I believe most who read this board understand that today's INDIVIDUAL defensive metrics are at best ... wanting.
But, I just want to know ... given that the Ms have the #1 defense in the AL by a WIDE margin ... and Lopez has been a part of that defense all season ... two things:
1) How bad can ANY current Seattle player be defensively?
2) Exactly how much better than a .711 DER is ANY defensive move going to ultimately realize?
This is not to say there can't be improvement.  Fact is, the Ms defense has had major issues with errors all season.  In many ways that are among the sloppiest defensive teams in baseball.  Yet, they are still #1 as a team in DER.  The club is #9 in FIP, yet #1 in ERA.  The EXISTING defense has been the best in the league all season.  Whether it's defensive engagement ... pitching/defense on same page ... or Z has a VooDoo priestess on the payroll, the undeniable fact of the 2009 club is that whatever defensive abilities "appear" to be when eyeballing the individual players, the end result has been the BEST. 
My point of view?  If the Ms can have the #1 defense in the league with Lopez at second base, then quit whining about him not playing pretty enough.  The prettiest looking shortstop of the last decade happens to be playing OF for Tampa.  Me?  I don't care if every glove in the field looks like Elaine Benes, if they're going to turn in the best performance in the league.  Just like I wouldn't care if they fanned 2000 times a year if they led the league in scoring. 
The true defensive liabilities were already tossed overboard, (YuBet and Wlad), and the team DER has improved about 10 points since they departed.  My thinking is lefty 2Bs are NOT desireable, so the only potential AT ALL for upgrading value at 2B (over Lopez) would be adding a switch hitter, (or the rare righty-glove, lefty bat).  I'm thinking it's gonna be TONS easier to leave 3B as the position to go hunting for help, (if needed).  Ultimately, I don't see the teeniest, tiniest value in planning on moving Tui to second, so you can move Lopez elsewhere.  There's absolutely, positively ZERO evidence that Lopez' defense (TODAY) is a detriment to the team.  But, if we're going to insist on continuing to try and fix the problems from the 2008 club, why not change the subject to what to do about replacing Ibanez in left.