With the Rangers win in the ALCS, who’s closer to a pennant: the Nats or the M’s? I’d say Washington, with Strasberg and the JuCo kid they drafted.
Strasburg had Tommy John surgery, and Harper is still a year or two away from the bigs. They also have horrendous management, and play in the NL East where they have to compete with the Phillies and Braves (and maybe the Mets if they ever get their shit together) every year. The Mariners on the other hand have shown the ability to dig deep into their wallets in the past to make quick changes.