Seattle Mariners: Why Not Use Nick Franklin?
Yes, every ball player will fall into a slump and it is only fair to let that player work out there issues. Give him some time to figure out what the problem is and fix it. The case of Brad Miller is different though. There is no doubt that he is a talented player, however; hitting well below the Mendoza line is not the sort of production we were expecting to see out of him in his second year.
The reason his case is different is because the Mariners have another shortstop with Tacoma who has been playing very well, Nick Franklin. His short time in the majors this year didn’t go well but much like Miller he deserves a chance as well.
I see this as a great opportunity for the Mariners. They didn’t trade Nick Franklin over the offseason after many thought there would be no place for him. Instead, they held onto him but now they need to take advantage of that decision. Franklin proved in the first half of last season that he can play. Then he tired toward the end of the season and was not matching the numbers from the first half.
It seems silly not to benefit from their current situation. Of course, I want Brad Miller to succeed but I also want the Mariners to succeed. Whatever is causing this rough start could be worked out in Tacoma. In the meantime, give Franklin his due. There really isn’t much risk considering the low production the Mariners have gotten form the short stop position.
Despite the poor production at short, the Mariners have been successful hovering around .500 right now. And they are going to need all the help they can get going forward. After the series with the Twins, the Mariners will have an eight game stretch against division rivals.
To gain more ground in the divisional standings they are going to need to be sharp within the division. This means they need to maximize production from everyone. They have a rare situation with two young capable players; they might as well get all the value they have to offer while they can.