Minor trade delightfully sends son of Mariners fan favorite out of AL West

Longtime followers of the Seattle Mariners undoubtedly remember Mike Cameron, who spent four years with the club from 2000 to 2003. Along the way, he earned a pair of Gold Gloves, made the 2001 All-Star Game and even earned some stray MVP votes.

The smooth-as-silk outfielder played a laid-back style of ball all throughout his career and had some of the best results in his 17-year tour around the league with the Mariners. He was one of the more popular players on the team during his stint out west.

Ready to feel old? Cameron's son, Daz, is a big leaguer now and, up until Thursday afternoon, he was a member of the A's organization. The younger Cameron isn't quite the player his dad was, at least not to this point.

On Thursday, the A's and Baltimore Orioles both announced that Cameron was heading to Baltimore in exchange for cash considerations.

Son of beloved ex-Mariners player Mike Cameron shipped out of the AL West

Initially taken by the Astros as a first-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, Cameron didn't surface in the big leagues until 2020 with the Tigers, where he stayed for the next few seasons. His career in the majors to this point has resulted in 139 games and a -1.1 bWAR. He's only hit .201 and his OPS sits at .593/OPS+ is down to 68, which is 32 percent below league-average.

While the big-league numbers don't exactly jump off the page, it's important to look beyond the surface level stats. Down on the farm with the A's Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, Cameron showed off some of that potential that earned him that first-round selection back in 2015.

In 41 games, he recorded 23 extra-base hits with 27 runs driven in while scoring 32 of his own. He went 8-for-10 in stolen bases, posted a .307 batting average and a 1.001 OPS. This was enough to earn him a look at the game's highest level, but he failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

The talent in Cameron's bat is clearly still there, even if some of it hasn't been recognized in the big leagues. Getting him out of the AL West division will be a good thing for the Mariners, even if the A's are nowhere close to contention.

Removing one potential thorn in the Mariners' side now is helpful down the line, regardless of which team he played for.