THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Mariners need to roll the dice in second half — creatively

Let’s get down to the truth. 

Or, to wildly paraphrase Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan Jessup: “You can’t HANDLE the truth!” 

I know, that line actually came from a courtroom scene in the movie, “A Few Good Men.” 

It wasn’t about baseball’s trade deadline, but here in real life, the Mariners (and their fans) may have to handle the truth as best they can. 

Oh, and after a flurry of trades between now and July 30, Mariners boss Jerry Dipoto would like to acquire a few good men. 

Right. 

Let’s wrestle with the truth then, shall we? 

FACT: The Mariners absolutely need help to have any shot at the playoffs. 

FACT: This is an unusual (and unhelpful) year for buyers, because so many teams are still dreaming of the postseason — and thus they continue to decline all offers for that 44-year-old third baseman with the torn hamstring. 

FACT: There’s one thing in common with most baseball deadlines, which is that just about every team is looking for pitching. Seattle, meanwhile, needs hitters — and will struggle to find a trade match because the Mariners have no spare arms beyond their front-line stars. 

FACT: The Mariners’ farm system is loaded with exciting young hitters, but they’re all a year or two from the big leagues. 

SO, CAN we handle the truth? 

Hmm? 

More important to the second half of the Mariners season, though, is whether Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander can find a way to manipulate reality. 

Now, if they were to phone me and ask how to figure out this situation, I think we could find some solutions. 

Seriously, I’ve got a few ideas. 

The key to the whole thing, gentlemen, is rolling the dice. 

The Mariners are carrying a bankroll large enough that they can do some gambling. 

And honestly, they have nothing to lose. 

If they play things safe (or don’t play at all), they will watch the playoffs at home on TV. 

Sure, the pitching can keep them competitive, but we saw over the past couple of weeks what happens when these low-scoring games come down to the last few innings. 

With the winning run on third with one out, the Mariners can’t make contact. 

Then, they lose on a sacrifice fly, or a ground ball that skips through a drawn-in infield because the other guys DID get a tiny bit of wood on the ball. 

Guh! 

Dipoto likely had that exact scenario in his mind during an interview on a Seattle radio station last Monday  

“I don’t want to be disrespectful to what we’ve been able to accomplish in the first half,” he said.  

“But we know that we need to do things differently and improve — not just around the edges — but improve meaningfully on the offensive side especially. 

“Otherwise, it’s not going to be quite as fun on the back end of this as it was for the majority of the first half of the season.” 

THE GOOD news for Mariners fans is that Jerry is thinking exactly the way you are. 

“We don’t make enough contact,” he said. “That’s plain and simple. 

“It’s the area where we need to make the most improvement. It’s hard to imagine us going into the postseason and doing damage without improving in that area, and that’s the simple truth of it.” 

I believe Jerry CAN handle the truth. 

The Mariners will have to gamble and be creative at the same time, and that’s right up Jerry’s alley. 

Let me give you an example, a trade that won’t cost the crown jewels — but also comes with no guarantees. 

Why not talk to the Blue Jays, who are sliding into a “nada” position in the AL wild-card race? 

Everybody’s drooling over Vlad Guerrero Jr. and/or Bo Bichette, but I’d try a different path because, frankly, no one player is going to light up these Mariners. 

Dipoto, by the way, loves multi-player deals. 

That helps, because the Mariners need to fill a lot of spots (and I suspect they got one job done by acquiring useful outfielder Victor Robles). 

How about if they offered a couple of their prospects — one from the top-tier, one a lower level — for Jays young infielder Spencer Horwitz and veteran outfielder George Springer. 

Horwitz is flying under the radar, but he’s banged the ball everywhere he’s been, and he’s off to a solid start in Toronto.  

It helps that he can play first, second and the outfield. 

Springer, you know. 

He’s killed the Mariners in his Houston days. 

Seattle would have to take on some (but NOT all) of Springer’s $24 million salary over the next two years, but honestly, I have a hunch that he’s still a hell of a hitter. 

He’s a great athlete with a super arm, even at 34 — and a proven playoff star.  

Maybe this isn’t the exact deal that jumps out of nowhere, but they need to make one LIKE this to refuel a sputtering club. 

Over to you, Jerry. 

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.”