THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Dipoto's latest gamble, ominous or not

Ominous.

That’s Jerry Dipoto’s new word.

The Mariners president of baseball operations went with “ominous” to describe the club’s new offense, now that he’s consummated a trade with Cincinnati that landed outfielder Jesse Winker and third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

On the plus side, at least “ominous” is a fairly common word — unlike Jerry’s previous favorite word, “transact” (which, yes, is part of the language, but usually with an object).

On the iffy side of this wordplay, well …

Here’s the Random House description of ominous: “Adjective. Giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious.”

I’m not sure how carefully Dipoto thought out that definition.

He’s pretty clever, but he’s also optimistic — and there is definitely a poor side to “ominous,” at least when describing your lineup.

I have no doubt that Jerry meant his revamped offense would mean something “bad or unpleasant” for opposing pitchers.

There are scouts and baseball execs, however, who wonder if this deal might be “inauspicious” for the Mariners and their fan base — the gang that has waited 21 years for a playoff appearance.

THE ONE sure thing you can say about this trade — which cost Seattle outstanding pitching prospect Brandon Williamson, along with Justin Dunn and Jake Fraley — is that it’s a gamble.

Dipoto probably would disagree, and insist that the organization’s analytics people (who have a terrific track record) are pretty damn certain that the M’s got a fabulous return for the price.

For that to be true, the left-handed hitting Winker would have to prove he can hit lefties.

And catch baseballs.

Wait, forget that last wish. Jesse is simply a very poor outfielder who is slow afoot.

An ESPN analysis of the trade characterized a Seattle outfield with Winker in left field and Jerred Kelenic in center as “scary.”

Winker made the 2021 All-Star team by hitting .305 with a nifty on-base percentage of .394 to go with 24 home runs (.949 OPS).

However …

He’s a .313 hitter in 1,051 at-bats against right-handers over his five-year career.

Facing lefties, that average plummets to .188, although he’s had just 261 at-bats.

Dipoto insists with serious conviction that analytics show Winker can be an everyday player — and hit left-handers.

Exactly what to do about his defense, um …

There’s always a designated hitter spot.

If you’re thinking that Jerry hasn’t solved an open outfield spot if Winker has to be the DH, hey, that’s the gamble.

Assuming there isn’t another signing to surprise everyone, I’d wager that the Mariners believe that super prospect Julio Rodriguez will be an impact regular by late spring — or early summer, at the latest.

Of course, J-Rod isn’t projected as a center fielder, either, which makes you worry about Seattle’s defense a little bit.

Or a lot, perhaps.

THERE is another gamble involved with the second half of this trade, and once again, the analytics folks think it will be just fine.

Suarez is a slightly below-average third baseman, which will be a downgrade from the departed Kyle Seager.

As for his offense …

No one in baseball has hit more homers than Suarez since 2018.

Unfortunately, he managed 31 of them last year while hitting just .198 and striking out in roughly 30 percent of his at-bats.

It was far and away the worst season of a generally productive career for Suarez, who is such a positive clubhouse influence that his nickname with the Reds became “The Minister of Good Vibes.”

There is a chance that Suarez found his stroke last September (or finally recovered from a nasty 2020 shoulder injury).

He hit .370 over the last month of the season, walloped eight homers and posted an on-base percentage of nearly .500.

MAYBE he dedicated himself to “controlling the strike zone” (a Mariner motto) instead of trying to pull everything into the air.

Maybe.

Dipoto is hoping that Suarez will be adequate at third, and that Winker’s bat will do damage at a position to be named later.

He’s still got switch-hitter Abraham Toro, if needed, and the organization feels that Toro could become something close to an elite hitter.

So, unless the Mariners shock everyone by signing Japanese free agent outfielder Seiya Suzuki …

You can’t help but feel that Dipoto put his faith in this trade with visions of J-Rod dancing through his head.

He might have it all wired correctly, but it feels …

Ominous.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published weekly during the season.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”