U.S.S. Mariner looks at Seattle’s finances and finds the team in good shape:

So, what impact should all this have on the payroll?

It should go up, even if not a lot. The Mariners gave Zduriencik a budget that was around $20 million lower than the 2007 team, in large part because of their projected attendance losses and uncertainty surrounding the economy. Jack Z did them one better than that, as the team’s total player expenditures are going to come out close to $25 million lower the prior year, thanks to the mid-season trade of Jarrod Washburn and the team’s insistence on having the Pirates and Brewers pay the remaining 2009 salaries of Jack Wilson, Ian Snell, and Bill Hall.

So, despite a rebuilding year and a drop in attendance, the M’s didn’t take a big financial hit this year. And, given the winning season that the M’s have just guaranteed plus some signs that the economy is recovering, the M’s projected attendance and revenue for 2010 has to be higher than it was for 2009. With higher projected revenues should come a larger budget.

As the post points out, the new GM is much better at getting value for his expenditures than the previous administration. An increase in payroll might mean a first place finish.