Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin and the Mariners Second Base Dilemma

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The general feeling around Seattle is that Jack Zduriencik could be going on a spending spree in an effort to get an extension on his contract. While the manager search will be an integral part of that rebuild, it is only the first of many decisions that the Mariners are going to need to make before April.

The infield is definitely shrouded in doubt, first base continues to be a toss-up as we wait for the Kendrys Morales saga to be resolved. Barring any big trades, Kyle Seager should be at third for the majority of 2014, but second and short will be questionable right up until Opening Day.

Both Nick Franklin and Brad Miller are going into their sophomore seasons and while initial results were encouraging, we all know what a disappointment those can be.

Dustin Ackley had a well-documented, albeit unexpected resurgence in 2013. It is no secret that Ackley flopped into the season before finding his swing again in Triple-A Tacoma. Upon his return to the big club, he was relegated to the outfield due to a strong showing from call-up Nick Franklin.

As we move into the off-season there are a lot of questions emerging about how Jack Z is going to restructure the team. The Mariners second base dilemma needs to be dealt with.

As I see it, there are a few different ways that the second base dilemma could be addressed during the winter.