THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Big trade, and a big night for former Zag

Well …

This was intended to be a “Notes and Quotes” day — so, predictably, the Mariners caught me in mid-sentence by trading for Toronto outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

Therefore, we’re calling an audible at the line of scrimmage — giving you some thoughts on the trade and then moving along to a few other items.

We’ve got an in-depth look at the Mariners and their plans for 2023 — along with the huge impact of banning infield shifts –— that we’ll share next week.

Meanwhile, once past the Hernandez deal today …

Tops in a bulging group of other items is a moral decision about how to cover the World Cup – which starts Sunday in Qatar.

There’s lots more, though, including the relentless success of Domantas Sabonis (and the exciting young club in Sacramento), along with a peek into the nasty world of dueling golf tours, and yet ANOTHER moral question about covering the murderous Saudi regime that sponsors the upstart LIV Tour.

Ah, and the Zags, you ask?

Since they played late Wednesday night at Texas, that one rolled on past our deadline — but we’ll have a much, MUCH closer look at Mark Few’s intriguing new group on Friday.

Fair enough?

ITEM: Okay, back to the Mariners deal …

There are some exciting things about this trade, but also a few caveats that prove VP Jerry Dipoto, GM Justin Hollander and the entire Seattle staff had to make something happen under less than perfect circumstances.

Hernandez can hit, we know that, and he’s a capable hand in the outfield.

He’s now 30, was an All-Star in 2021, and will be entering his final year of club control.

Last season, Hernandez delivered a .267/.316/.491 slash line with 35 doubles, 25 homers and 77 RBI.

Those are pretty representative numbers over his seven-year career — although with the Mariners seeking players who “command the zone,” Hernandez managed just 34 walks against 152 strikeouts last year.

Seattle STILL needs some on-base experts who swing at strikes and keep rallies going.

Coming into his final arbitration year, Hernandez figures (just a guess) to earn something not too far north of $10 million.

Going in the other direction, Erik Swanson was a good reliever who basically was kept out of high-leverage situations — but nevertheless posted a 1.67 ERA.

Adam Macko was the Mariners’ No. 8 prospect, with mixed results as the 21-year-old reached the High-A level last year — pitching in only eight games.

There is a tendency to believe the Mariners, and especially their analytics people, can find useful relievers growing on trees.

Thus, losing a bullpen arm and a mid-tier prospect is not terribly harmful (at first glance).

The need to add Hernandez became necessary because of Mitch Haniger’s free agency, Jarred Kelenic’s wildly uneven progress at 23, and injuries to former rookie of the year Kyle Lewis.

But also …

The deal probably wouldn’t have been necessary except for the undeniable flop of Jesse Winker, along with his postseason surgeries, and the major questions about whether Winker would be welcomed back into a clubhouse that shunned him late last season.

Given all those difficult issues, however, the Mariners clearly dealt from their major area of strength to add a potent bat that was desperately needed.

So far, so good.

ITEM: Right, the World Cup.

There is a legitimate argument that, given the rampant corruption and bribery at FIFA — alongside the horrors faced by migrant workers in Qatar — fans should boycott this World Cup.

And we journalists should do the same.

While on the subject, by the way, we likewise perhaps ought to be shunning the attempted “sportswashing” by Saudi Arabia’s vicious regime.

This is now a country which has murdered a Washington Post reporter, systematically executes dissidents and jails anyone accused of breaking accepted “gender definitions.”

Yet the Saudi-owned Newcastle club in England’s Premier League is hailed as one of the year’s great sports stories, and the self-aggrandizing Greg Norman continues to throw Saudi money at golfers – as Norman attempts, once again, to destroy the PGA Tour.

Never mind the golfing argument, however …

Why should we give any positive publicity to Saudi Arabia?

OK …

Back to the World Cup, and one simple truth.

Soccer, or football as it’s known around the world, is untouchable.

There is a documentary now running on Netflix that outlines the mob-like thefts and assorted other crimes committed by FIFA (even comparing it to the Mafia).

Fans from Iceland to Argentina, though, don’t care about those crooks.

They want to see football.

TV execs expect that 5 billion people will tune in to the Qatar World Cup — leapfrogging the 3.5 billion that viewed the 2018 event in Russia.

In a case like this, I think it’s fair for a journalist (me, for instance) to make the hideous side of “Big Football Business” known to readers — and still cover the games themselves as sports events.

Why?

Because our readers care.

The USA opens group stage play at 11 a.m. Monday against Wales.

The team’s other two group games pit this pretty salty U.S. side against England and then Iran.

All four teams are ranked in the world’s top 20, making it a brutal (but survivable) group for the Americans.

And yes, I’ll be writing about it.

Football only.

ITEM: Before I get away today, there’s something that simply must find its way to publication.

In the NBA universe, Sacramento might as well be Siberia.

Not only have the Kings been awful and mismanaged for decades (literally), but their failings take place less than 90 miles from San Francisco — where the title-winning Warriors have reinvented basketball and made it must-watch entertainment.

I know, it’s early, and the Kings have had false dawns a few times, but as of this writing, they’ve won six of their last eight — including a 122-115 victory over the defending champion Warriors.

Sacramento followed that up with an almost incomprehensible 153-121 hammering of the Brooklyn Nets.

Right in the middle (quite literally) of this explosion in California’s Central Valley, we find former Gonzaga star Domantas Sabonis.

Domas is now 26, and he’s certainly holding up his end for the Kings — averaging 17.8 points per game, along with 11 rebounds and 6.3 assists.

In that signature win over Golden State, Sabonis dropped 26 points to go with a whopping 22 rebounds.

He actually had an even more remarkable line in the rout of Brooklyn — scoring just 17 points but making all six field-goal attempts and each of his five free throws.

With the game so far out of hand, Domas barely played over 25 minutes, but (read this twice) he was plus-44 during that time on the floor.

Plus-44??

Sounds like he was playing with some kids out in the yard.

Ah, right.

The Nets.

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally on Tuesday through Friday.

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