A source tells me Chicago Cubs front office have had discussions about acquiring 26 year old current utility man Dustin Ackley. He went on further to say that the Cubs and Mariners have discussed a trade involving the Mariners getting a player, IFA Bonus Pool money, or both. The Mariners have been linked to both Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija but this seems smaller move than that said the source.
Dustin Ackley’s time in Seattle seems to be drawing to a close as he continues to struggle at the plate. In 1567 PA within 4 seasons Ackley has posted a .241 average with a .309 OBP and just a .350 SLG. He has been moved around in the lineup and in the field a lot which could be a factor why he has struggled at the plate. He has played 281 games at 2b, 125 games in the outfield, and 18 games at 1st. His natural position seems to be 2b but he handles the OF pretty well. To me it seems like a guy who needs a change of scenery after having some struggles at the big league level.
So you may ask what makes Ackley so interesting? Well before the 2011 season Baseball America put Dustin Ackley as its 12th best prospect in baseball while Baseball Prospectus put him at #25 in that same year. In his minor league career over 1044 PA Ackley has a .290 average with a .397 OBP and a .840 OPS. He had 149 BB to 131 SO during that span. There is something not transitioning to the ML level. We have seen this front office and coaching staff get the most out of its players whether it be Rizzo climb toward stardom, Luis Valbuena’s emergence as a solid Major Leaguer, Arrieta’s ascension to ACE status, etc… We have seen them take players like this and cash in. A move that would send bonus money to the Mariners (who have been linked to big $ IFA) for Dustin Ackley has Theo and Jed written all over it. This front office seems to take other teams unwanted players or guys their current team has just given up on and breathe new life into them. And if my source is correct then they think they can do the same with Dustin Ackley.
I guess we will find out soon.
Until Next Time…
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