THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: As deadline nears, a lot looms for Mariners

Jerry Dipoto cannot be enjoying this.

The MLB trading deadline is coming up next Tuesday, and national stories about endless players who perhaps could be moved to different surroundings almost completely ignores the Mariners.

OK, not entirely.

Outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has popped up in some conversations, and so has closer Paul Sewald.

Beyond that …

Silence.

Most breakdowns of the deadline divide teams into buyers or sellers.

Seattle, which has a 51-50 record as I type this, is often isted as both, which also can mean …

Neither.

Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander must be trying to invent a deal that hasn’t yet crossed anyone’s mind.

That would be the Mariners’ style.

Unfortunately, the club is far enough outside a multi-team dogfight for one of the American League wild-card spots that it would be silly to give up any current stars or bubbling prospects.

Besides, the Mariners need offense.

In another situation, they’d be tempted by, oh …

Teoscar Hernandez.

Since he’s already on the roster, where do you look for two or three bangers who might set the fuse on a 10-game winning streak?

YES, A team or two out there might be interested in dealing for Sewald.

But even solid relievers don’t fetch the kind of package that would help a team that’s been treading water around .500 all season.

Dipoto already has made it clear that anything that might tempt the Mariners would not be a “one player to win the pennant” type of rental.

He’s not going to sell off talent on an unlikely chase for a spot in this season’s playoffs.

“If we do something, it has to be a move that will help the club next year, or even beyond that,” Dipoto said.

That statement makes the Mariners sound like sellers in this year’s market — and indeed, if they can do something that would dramatically improve the future, well …

Nobody’s untouchable.

Except Julio.

Seattle has several key pieces who are CLOSE to untouchable without something special coming in the other direction, however.

You’d have to phone up with your tongue hanging out to get Jerry’s attention regarding all his exciting young pitchers.

If the Mariners were right near the top of the AL West, then maybe ...

You could picture Dipoto listening to an offer for one of Seattle’s starters, but even then he’s not going to be interested in a sack of rosin bags.

And just to repeat the problem, the Mariners aren’t going to take a crazy gamble just to see what happens the rest of this season.

There are too many teams ahead of them in the wild-card rush, and the Mariners have too many holes (second base) and injuries (Jarred Kelenic) to pretend that the playoffs are just one bat away.

Ironically, long shot DH hopeful Mike Ford has provided some serious offense since arriving from Tacoma, and Cade Marlowe (another newcomer from the I-5 shuttle) has looked good in a handful of games.

THE ODD part of the Mariners’ frustration is that the pitching staff — which is excellent in the big picture, and the heart of the franchise — continues to blow up every few starts.

Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo (not to mention the injured Robbie Ray and Marco Gonzales) are ALL starters that most teams want badly enough to kidnap them from the team hotel.

But …

Every one of them has tossed in a stinker once in a while.

Like the rest of the Mariners, the bright, youthful pitching staff hasn’t been consistent enough to push this team into contention.

So where does that leave Dipoto in his search for a balanced ballclub?

Yes, he can trade Sewald (or even one of the extra starters), but only if the return gives the Mariners a much better look in 2024.

And sure, he can move Hernandez, but that would take a big bat out of the lineup.

The only reason would be to start retooling a new offense that has more hitters putting the ball in play — and less of them striking out.

That almost HAS to be a goal after this season of swinging and missing.

Let’s see what’s Jerry’s got in mind when he’s stuck with a .500 team.

We haven’t watched THIS movie yet.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

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