"Two court-ordered financial appraisals of the Mariners have concluded the team is worth far more than previously believed.

For the past three weeks, the divorce trial of Mariners minority owner Chris Larson has played out in King County Superior Court. At issue is dividing a vast estate of homes, stock, commercial real estate, artwork, luxury cars and other assets, which has put the value of Larson's 30.6 percent ownership of the team front and center.

An expert put forth by Larson concludes the total value of the Mariners franchise is $551 million, while an appraisal done on behalf of his wife, Julia Calhoun, states the team is worth $750 million. Both figures dwarf a $449 million estimate published in March by Forbes magazine — which did not have access to inside financial details — and are far greater than the $212 million invested by Mariners owners to buy the team in 1992 and help build Safeco Field.

Word of the appraisals comes as debate rages throughout Seattle about whether the Mariners can afford to compete for free agent Prince Fielder, seeking a multiyear contract well beyond $100 million. It also comes at a critical time for Mariners ownership, with Larson uncertain of maintaining his team stake while 55 percent majority owner Hiroshi Yamauchi has seen declines to his vast fortune."