THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: A few moves the Mariners need to make soon

Mariners boss Jerry Dipoto made it plain.

"We're usually the team that makes deals early. We like to get things done and feel like the roster is set."

Fair enough, except that THIS year, every team is hoping to tie up their bigger deals by Thanksgiving.

MLB's collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, and the owners have made no secret that they intend to open the off-season excitement with a lockout.

The shutdown is almost a cinch to start, oh, maybe one minute later.

Teams that have trades or free agent acquisitions in mind will be burning up the proverbial midnight oil for the next two-and-a-half weeks.

Of course, they don't need to make calls this week — since the general managers' "winter meeting" is currently going full blast in Las Vegas.

Perfect hunting territory for Dipoto and Seattle GM Justin Hollander, right?

It should be, given that Dipoto already has gone public with the Mariners' intentions, and he doesn't seem to be playing any kind of bluff.

Bottom line: the Mariners need better overall defense (they were last, dead last, in MLB a year ago), they're looking for an outfielder or two, a left-sided infielder who can play short or third, and a couple more arms for the bullpen.

Oh, and the hitters should be right-handed.

NOW YOU have the assignment.

So, feel free to wrap up roster additions that will have fans panting for the end of the lockout.

Put together a team that basically apologies for last season with a charge through the playoffs.

And do it, please, on a low-ball budget.

Want to hear my plan?

OK, I'd start by getting in the face of majority owner John Stanton and saying: "John you owe the fans here. They've made you a boatload of money (true), and they've come out to the park no matter if the Mariners are in the midst of a thousand-game losing streak.

"Hell, it FELT like that kind of streak last year, when a roster picked for the World Series conspired to finish 10 games under .500.

"Look, John, you've got wealth. Let Dipoto spend some of it on the ballclub. Let him get two difference-makers.

"This team only needs a little help, and you can provide it.

"Imagine being the guy who brings the World Series to Seattle. They have parades for people like that. They build statues.

"That could be YOU!"

NOTICE that I used the phrase "difference-makers."

Plural.

I want Dipoto to go out and do whatever it takes to get just TWO players — and we're not talking about Tarik Skubal here, either.

Jerry claims he wants, he must, get better defense. Especially on the left side of the infield, where young Colt Emerson will get a shot at stepping into the lineup at short.

Emerson is the closest thing to a cinch you can run out there on opening day — and yet a combination of nerves and injuries kept Colt from making much of an impact.

Expect that to change this season.

OK, here's my first move, and it locks in a guy who has won Gold Gloves playing all over the stadium.

He could probably handle the post-game fireworks.

We're signing free agent Mauricio Dubon to play shortstop.

He won't cost a fortune, either, something like two years for $18 million.

The one hitch is that he loved his one year playing in Atlanta, so we might have to overpay (slightly), to wrestle him out of Georgia.

But Dubon is absolutely worth it.

Right, that's one contract done.

The second one is a little rich, the sort of guy where some team is telling an agent: "Forget Seattle. They won't spend anything, not in this range."

The range involved is for lefty reliever Adrian Morejon, the most consistent bullpen star in MLB.

The Mariners need insurance in case Andres Munoz can't regain his mojo, but what if he can?

Having Munoz, a healthy Matt Brash and Morejon's wipeout stuff to overwhelm you in a three-game series would make Seattle a different team.

Sure, there's real money involved here, but you want the World Series, don't you?

Morejon turned down a qualifying offer from the Padres ($23.75 million), which is nice money, but that's one year.

Pitchers want years.

The numbers you hear for Morejon are three years for $50 million and four years at $64 million.

Listen, Seattle can afford this — especially if they can get Dubon for an average of $20 million,

These two guys actually share a skill: run prevention.

No matter what the cost, the Mariners need that now.

Desperately.

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Longtime journalist Steve Cameron writes "The Cheap Seats" for The Press three times each week.