The Mariners are trying to buck the defensive spectrum, taking on a long term project to move Dustin Ackley from the outfield to second base.

Ackley, the Mariners’ first-round pick in 2009 (second overall) and maybe the top position prospect in the organization, is in his second full season at second base. If he can successfully make the transition, the Mariners feel they’ll have an answer at that position for a decade or so, a seeming bright light for a franchise again attempting to rebound from disaster.

Last year, Ackley was trying to get comfortable at second. Now it’s about getting major-league-ready at a position that’s far more complicated than Ackley realized.

He’ll play 2011 as a 23 year old, so maybe he’s young enough to make the transition. However, players tend to move to the outfield young because they can’t handle the middle infield. If the Mariners pull this off, it means someone missed something with Dustin along the way, either in High School or college.