Seattle Mariners Executive Jerry Dipoto Talks About Team's Payroll Situation
The Seattle Mariners financial situation has been a big topic of discussion for the last two years.
In the pre-2024 offseason, there seemed to be some confusion over what the Mariners available payroll actually was. A lot of the confusion was related to the organization's team-owned sports channel of ROOT Sports and the uncertainty surrounding their future television deal.
This offseason, there seems to be a lot more clarity in Seattle at what the organization can actually spend. Team executives haven't said specifically what the organization has in free change and what the operating budget will be for the roster in 2025. But it's been rumored the Mariners have anywhere from $20-25 million to spend in free agency to go with their league-high $7.6 million in international signing bonus pool money.
Seattle President of Baseball Operations went on the ESPN Baseball Tonight podcast with insider Buster Olney to talk about the team's payroll situation this year compared to last.
"Compared to a year ago, we're in much better shape. Last year there was so much guesswork. There was a lot of ambiguity around what was going to happen with our TV deal. We are moving forward into (2025) as if our games will be broadcast again on ROOT Sports and we anticipate that that will be the case. The big adjustments we needed to make in our budgeting, and especially as it pertained to our major league payroll, we made it a year ago. So, our expectation is we will grow payroll. By what level remains to be seen. But we've identified where our needs lie and we're moving into 2025 with the expectation that we'll run a higher payroll than we did a year ago."
Last year the Mariners tried to find a two-year stopgap at second base by acquiring Jorge Polanco from the Minnesota Twins and signing backup catcher Mitch Garver to a two-year, $24 million deal. Garver's contract was the largest Seattle has given out to a position player in free agency under Dipoto.
Playing in just his fifth game this month -- and first in a full week -- Mitch Garver emphatically leaves the yard here in the 1st inning. And with two outs, to boot.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) September 15, 2024
Exit velo: 105.8 mph
Launch angle: 33°
Distance: 408 ft.
Hang time: 6.3 seconds pic.twitter.com/GcPcnCQAiW
Garver is coming off a down season and Polanco is no longer on the team after Seattle declined his $12 million club option.
When Seattle is deciding what moves to make in the offseason, payroll volatility clearly won't be a concern.
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