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I can see why you would be weighing the 2011 side given the extreme illogic of trading for 2010 Branyan alone...Z is generally a very good GM on the whole, though he does have his flaws and misfires. So I guess I could see your side when it comes to assuming there's some handshaking and winking going on re: 2011.
There's just one problem now, though...if he does come back in 2011...we haven't solved 1B just like we really wouldn't have solved 1B in 2010 if he'd stayed. Yes, he's better than our in-house options these two years, but we're probably not going to contend in 2011 either unless a series of miracles occur (starting with Lee signing an extension or being traded in the one-sided rip-off deal of the century) and Branyan is gone after that...and in the meantime, we'll have no way of auditioning a first baseman for his spot in 2012 unless he's DHing...in which case, we 'd still have a 1B hole and we'd have an ossified roster spot at DH so fewer ways to improve the 2011 team's chances of even attempting to contend.
Adding Branyan either (a) kills your chances of knowing your young first base prospects are ready to contribute in 2012 or (b) prevents you from making additional moves to add offense in 2011 because Branyan is DHing, Bradley's in left and Saunders has the rest of their playing time, so all you've got is first base (where you're presumably clearing space to try out prospects or use another rent-a-bat to stopgap you to the TRabens and Poythresses.
Point is...there is no good outcome to the Branyan acquisition...other than making Mariner fans stop crying into their beer when the #4 hitter comes up and it's Jose Lopez and we have no real power threats.