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Around SBN: Devils Beat Rangers, Head To Stanley Cup Finals

Dustin Ackley Signs

The Mariners first-round draft pick, 2nd overall, Dustin Ackley has signed. Details on the signing bonus are as of yet unknown, but for those people who were concerned that he might not sign, rest easy. Ackley is now a member of the Seattle Mariners organization. (Jeff's note: as you've heard, it's a $9.5m Major League contract. My first job after college paid me twelve dollars an hour.)

(Jeff's additional note: so according to Heyman, it's a $7.5m, five-year deal with $2m in escalator clauses, whatever that means. Ackley is still under team control for six years. Don't let the big league deal freak you out.)

(Jeff's final addition: From Jim Callis at BA, "Five-year major league deal, $6 million bonus, $1.5 million in guaranteed salaries, another $2.5 million possible in salaries depending on how quick he reaches the majors, $7.5 million total guaranteed." Let's go with that.)

No word yet on where Ackley will begin for reals, but your best bet is a week or so in Peoria to get back up to baseball speed after a few months off and then probably he joins Poythress in Double-A, but it will be interesting to see how the team handles it as they already have Gillies playing CF in High Desert and Carrera having a good season in CF in Double-A. How they shuffle the centerfielders in the system could tell us something about how they view the time tables for some of our mid-level prospects.

Then again, there is about two weeks left in the minor league season, so perhaps it will tell us nothing.

Another possibility that people are bound to talk about is Ackley at second base. Our system is certainly lacking in middle infield prospects, nearly at all levels and many have claimed that Ackley has the tools to make a successful transition to the keystone position. If the Mariners believe that he could adapt to second base quickly and without impeding his offensive ceiling, that might prove tempting to them, especially with Michael Saunders, Franklin Gutierrez and Ichiro Suzuki manning our outfield and under contract for quite awhile.

In the end, we get to trust them to make a better decision than the rest of us combined could ever hope to, so whatever, yay! Dustin Ackley!

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Additional note

For anyone who’s concerned, no, a Major League contract doesn’t mean that Ackley’s a free agent any sooner. It just means that he’s immediately placed on the 40-man roster.

by Jeff Sullivan on Aug 17, 2009 9:21 PM PDT reply actions  

Why does this make a difference?

Does this just mean he automatically draws a major league paycheck from day one?

by seattlebruin on Aug 17, 2009 9:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

Options

He has to be optioned down to the minors each year

by Graham MacAree on Aug 17, 2009 9:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

So what's the most likely scenario when Ackley is ready for the majors?

It seems like we’ve got a pretty solid OF for the next few years in Saunders/Guti/Ichiro. Will one of them get moved to DH/4th OF to make room for Ackley? Will he go to 1B or possibly 2B? Will someone get traded?

by I Lick Squirrels on Aug 17, 2009 9:30 PM PDT reply actions  

So, what is the definitive best player to compare Dustin Ackley's style of play to?

I hear how good he is and how he’s a future all-star and I get excited, but I haven’t heard what the best comparisons are if he’s super talented without much power yet. (Even though it seems like he hit a lot of HR’s at UNC.)

by Kenny Knows Sports on Aug 17, 2009 10:12 PM PDT reply actions  

Oh

And James Paxton didn’t sign. Remember everyone freaking out that we passed on him to draft Franklin?

This is why that was dumb.

by davidcameron on Aug 17, 2009 10:23 PM PDT reply actions  

Yay!

I know everyone said don’t worry he’ll sign a last minute deal but I did not understand that last minute was not being used as a figure of speech. I got a little concerned as the last couple hours starting passing by but that just made this news a little bit happier.

by Nate Dogg on Aug 17, 2009 11:38 PM PDT reply actions  

Matthew, hopefully you're right,
then probably he joins Poythress in Double-A

I think that was a joke, and I think I love it.

Illegible

by kevin_ess on Aug 18, 2009 12:35 AM PDT reply actions  

Just to get it out of the way now - ANAGRAMS!

1) Sultan Dickey
2) A Luck Destiny
3) Nice Adult Sky
4) Cute and Silky
5) Suck Ten Lady
6) Sack Duty Line
7) Yield Nut Sack
8) Nude Lay Stick
9) Lanky Ice Stud
10) Duty in El Sack

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Aug 18, 2009 1:21 AM PDT reply actions   2 recs

I dunno Duty In El Sack is up there.

You got slurved!

I for one welcome our sexy* moderating overlords.

by Slurvey on Aug 18, 2009 1:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

Ladies and gentlemen, as Craig Ferguson might say: it's a great day for America.

M’s get Ackley.
Nats get Strasburg.
Both sign reasonable, albeit pricey, deals.
Rangers get boned.

All is well.

Jigsaw falling into place

by esoteric on Aug 18, 2009 8:42 AM PDT reply actions   2 recs

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