THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: M's have moves to be made, but for who and how long?

Like a lot of good one-liners, this one came from a golf course.

It happened on the maddening second green at Twin Lakes Village.

After watching what I thought was a deft eight-footer slide well past the hole, I muttered: “This game is going to drive me insane.”

Hah.

Without a pause, my partner Joey replied: “That’s not a drive. It’s a short putt.”

Ta-da!

OK, enough of the Vegas act.

Since we’re on the topic, however, what WILL drive me insane is relentless nonsense on social media.

We could pick almost any topic and chat about unbelievable gibberish on podcasts, on X (that title is Looney Tunes by itself), on Facebook and so on.

If you want to babble and share your batty ideas with the world, hey, there’s a spot somewhere offering you the welcome mat.

The subject today, and what the masses think about it, happens to be the Mariners attempt to rock up with another trade before Thursday’s deadline.

I KNOW, I shouldn’t spend five minutes digesting what a Little League coach from Post Falls is positive will save the Mariners’ postseason dreams.

But you’ve been there, too, right?

You want to scream, “No, you can’t trade Bryan Woo AND a prospect like Laz Montes.

“No, no, no.”

The problem is that plenty of actual sane people, fans who’ve been burned by the Mariners too many fans, can answer quite fairly: “So, what should they do then?

“Watch Cal hit 60 home runs but miss the playoffs?”

That’s a legitimate response.

Seattle sits squarely in the midst of an American League postseason race — featuring a pile of teams that all seem bang-average.

If the Mariners’ could put their pitching and hitting together, at least to the level you see on their baseball cards, they would be cruising past injury riddled Houston in the AL West.

Right now, though, two wins in a row is considered a streak.

Yeah, it’s frustrating.

There’s not much chatting time left until the MLB trading deadline at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Basically, if a team is ready to take the best offer for specific player, it’s time.

Credit to the Mariners for filling one huge hole, however, acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from Arizona for two decent pitching prospects.

I’m not thrilled about the fact that Naylor will be a free agent after the season, on the overall theory that shipping out bona fide prospects in exchange for two-month rentals is hardly a sound business strategy.

On the other hand, before I came to The Press, I was in Kansas City — covering a Royals team that won the World Series in 2015.

That club was aided immeasurably by the addition of ace Johnny Cueto and switch-hitting infielder Ben Zobrist, short-term rentals who both came at the cost of legit prospects.

The Royals would tell you it was damn good business.

It’s hard to disagree.

SO, NOW what for the Mariners?

One look at the standings tells you they aren’t going to have much margin for error.

Club boss Jerry Dipoto has said they’re aiming for one more high-leverage reliever, and as many close games as the Mariners play, it’s hard to dispute that target.

Fans would also love a reunion with third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who would add considerable bash to the lineup (and who never should have been traded in the first place).

Suarez is no longer an adequate defender, unfortunately, and the Mariners’ incumbent, Ben Williamson, has a shot at the Gold Glove — and by various metrics, he’s saved a bundle of runs.

I hear you.

Williamson can’t save as many as Geno drives in, and so what if our old friend is also a pending free agent?

Who cares that with 36 homers and 87 RBI (which leads all of baseball), Geno now would be seriously expensive.

Suarez is a one-trick pony these days, but it’s a hell of a show.

I remember former manager Scott Servais saying that if a ballgame were on the line, he’d want Geno with a bat.

Good vibes only.

If he would sign a two-year deal as part of the trade, fine.

But I suspect Dipoto is right, that with the bullets Seattle has left to shoot this week, a lights-out reliever is the top target.

But.

I see why everyone is angry.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and 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.”