Mets, Padres, Yankees ask about Mariners’ Dustin Ackley

With second base now off limits for a good decade or so, the Mariners have to be open to moving Dustin Ackley and/or Nick Franklin. According to CBS Sports.com’s Jon Heyman, the Mets, Padres and Yankees have already inquired about Ackley.

Ackley, the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, has hit a modest .245/.315/.354 in 1,324 major league at-bats, but he may have taken a step forward in the second half of last season, when he hit .304/.374/.435 in 184 at-bats. The Mariners were mostly using him a center fielder then, with Franklin starting at second. Overall, he made 49 starts at second, 46 in center and eight in left last season.

The Mets and Yankees, at least, would be looking at Ackley as a second baseman, it seems. The Mets are strongly considering trading Daniel Murphy, opening up the position for them, and the Yankees, of course, just lost Robinson Cano to the Mariners. The Padres might also use him at second if they trade Chase Headley and move Jedd Gyorko back to third.

The Mariners, though, could keep Ackley and continue to play him in the outfield. As is, they’re still looking for help out there; they’re still considering Nelson Cruz and they have some interest in re-signing Franklin Gutierrez. If the season started tomorrow, they’d probably have Michael Saunders, Ackley and either youngster Abraham Almonte or utilityman Willie Bloomquist starting.