PEORIA, Ariz. -- When Rickie Weeks signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Seattle Mariners in mid-February, it came with a side order of reality. Robinson Cano is typically good for 160 games a year at second base, so Weeks can’t expect to receive much playing time there. And Kyle Seager made the All-Star team at third base in 2014, so Weeks won’t have much opportunity to play there, either.

That essentially leaves the outfield, a position that Weeks last played at Southern University in 2001. Weeks has 1,044 games at second base with Milwaukee in his major league portfolio, and that’s the only position he’s played other than designated hitter.

But the Mariners think he has the athleticism, the wheels and -- most importantly -- the motivation to embrace his opportunity in left field.

"I made the transition from catching to the outfield [in 1988], and Rickie is certainly a much better athlete than I ever was," said Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon. "I don't see the major concern that most people see. I think he’s going to adapt real easily."

The Mariners are optimistic because they have just the guy to nurture Weeks, acquaint him with the subtleties of left-field play and "coach him up," as the saying goes.

Seattle first base coach Andy Van Slyke achieved considerable success last year helping Dustin Ackley make the full-time transition to left field, and this year Weeks will be his pet project in the Cactus League and beyond. Ackley has a career .637 OPS against left-handed pitching, and the Mariners think that Weeks (with his .834 OPS vs. lefties) will be better equipped to face the likes of Detroit's David Price or Chicago's Chris Sale as the right-handed half of a platoon arrangement.

Van Slyke, 54, comes with a portfolio guaranteed to make any prospective student pay attention. He won five straight Gold Glove Awards with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1988-92 and earned a reputation as one of baseball's most skilled and graceful center fielders. Weeks grew up a Barry Bonds fan in Florida, and he paid close enough attention to know that Van Slyke was the real deal.

"He's been an All-Star and he was at the top level of baseball, so obviously he knows what he's talking about," Weeks said. "Having a guy like that to show me the ropes is pretty good."

Only a few days into camp, Van Slyke is not yet in position to judge how proficient Weeks will be in left. But he expects to log a lot of one-on-one time finding out.

Weeks will answer a bunch of questions in the Cactus League: How quickly and instinctively does he react to the ball off the bat? Does he have trouble going back on the ball, and is he naturally gun-shy around the wall? How deftly does he charge balls, and will his deeply-ingrained infield throwing habits require some mechanical alterations? Those scenarios don’t even factor in the adjustments that new outfielders have to make to crowd noise or quirky outfield configurations.

"It's learning about playing next to another human being," Van Slyke said. "If you're both going at the ball at full speed, how comfortable are you making the decision whether to back up or go for it? There are going to be mistakes made, but that’s OK. Hopefully they will be made before the season starts."

Ackley certainly established an encouraging precedent for Weeks. After playing first base at North Carolina, breaking into pro ball at second base and playing 50 games in center field in 2013, he made a substantial improvement in his shift to left in 2014. Ackley recorded a plus-7 Defensive Runs Saved in the Baseball Info Solutions rankings -- tied for eighth-best among MLB left fielders.

"I saw his enthusiasm for playing defense go up," Van Slyke said. "In spring training, I used to have to ask him if I could hit him balls. Halfway through the season, he was asking me. He fell in love with it.

"To see Dustin elevate his game like that, I was happy for him. This isn’t about me. He's the farmer, and I'm just the rake. These guys can use me as much as they want."

In Van Slyke's experience, the success or failure of a big-league position change usually comes down to the amount of time a player is willing to invest. Ackley made himself a better left fielder through sweat and repetition. Now Weeks will try to follow his lead.

"I find it hard to believe that anybody can make it to the major leagues and not get better at their game," Van Slyke said. "I don't have a magical equation. It's just, "Hard work equals success.' If you work hard, you’ll be good."