THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: The M's got Victor Robles right ... who knew?

Victor, please explain this whole process to our readers. 

I doubt seriously they’ll grasp how a player gets designated for assignment (dumped), then is rejected by every team in major league baseball — who could sign him for FREE. 

Sorry, they said. 

No interest. 

But then this same player, with no medical enhancement or visits from aliens, locks up a two- or three-year contract with one of those same teams that said no. 

You’d have to think that one lonely team, with two key players out injured, would give this guy a couple of weeks to see if he can play — you know, when the price was zip. 

Zero. 

Nada. 

“Guys, I brought my own gear. I won’t even cost you the price of a jock strap.” 

Ummm. 

Still nada.   

Hey, it worked with Willie Mays Hayes in the movie, “Major League.” 

Maybe our guy had a few good-looking at-bats in the Baja California League, stored on tape in a closet somewhere. 

I have to admit, however, that even though I got all excited and wrote about this outfielder — actually suggested the Mariners take a chance on him — that the numbers didn’t look good. 

Hello, Victor Robles. 

Great speed, defense, throwing arm, savvy baserunner, and by all accounts, a great teammate. 

Unfortunately, his hitting looked like he was using his bat (any bat) as a rowing oar. 

After 14 games of his seventh season with the Nats — including all seven thrillers in center field as they won the World Series in 2019 — Washington gave up. 

IT HAD to be painful. 

“If we don’t have Victor, we don’t win the World Series,” said Washington manager Davey Martinez. “Somehow, a team will get him right and they’ll have a really special player in the lineup.” 

When you hear a phrase like “get him right,” you think immediately that the guy is a bad actor, a social problem, somebody on probation for domestic violence, something in that neighborhood. 

The Nationals, though, insist Robles is just a great character. 

Fun. 

Super to have in the clubhouse. 

Could there be an issue involving Victor having TOO good a time, and not working hard enough on his game. 

“I can’t see that’s possible,” Martinez said. “He’s out there working as hard as anyone."

The numbers don’t lie, however, and Robles seemed to be in a slump that would never end. 

He’s not a home run hitter, but (like a lot of the Mariners) he can get in a rut where he swings too hard. 

In 14 games with Washington this season, Victor had three hits, good for a batting average of .120, and his OPS was .401. 

Nobody was shocked when he was released. 

Nobody was shocked when he went unclaimed. 

There WAS some shock when Seattle put in a claim after Robles had gone through the entire process. 

There were scouts and personnel people who thought maybe Seattle was grabbing a cheap defender/pinch runner without using up one of its own minor leaguers. 

WHY NOT? 

It was all about Julio Rodriguez and Dominic Canzone both being out injured. 

They need someone to wear a Mariners uniform, and the Moose was busy with public affairs duties. 

Sounds like we’re kidding, but if you’re shorthanded in the outfield, Robles can play all three positions WAY above the major league average. 

In all seriousness, he’s a handy guy to have around. 

The Seattle front office could very easily have snapped up Robles as a defender/runner for all the close games this team plays. 

Without being callous, they likely were thinking it wouldn’t matter if Victor cared about hitting, or that they had no full-time spot for him. 

Except. 

Robles didn’t get the memo about just sitting around. 

Victor certainly can be fun — he was a smash wearing a microphone for Sunday Night Baseball less than a week ago — but he takes the game seriously. 

He meant ANY game, not just Sunday. 

“This team can win anything. There’s talent, and the vibe is cool in Seattle.” 

The message was received. 

“He wants us to know that we’re good enough to win it all,” said catcher Cal Raleigh. “It doesn’t hurt, coming from a guy who’s done it.” 

Robles has promised manager Scott Servais that he’s going to work on finding his lost swing. 

This is a player, remember, who was chosen just ahead of Juan Soto in the MLB draft. 

Besides all the fun (imagine Robles, Julio and Randy Arozarena in the same outfield) Victor wants to start winning again. 

By the way, with Robles now signed for two extra years — with a team option for a third — that “Three Amigos” outfield technically could be under Mariners contract for three years. 

At least.

“Great times,” Robles said, “but that’s if we win.” 

Email: scameron@cdapress.com 

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.”