"The comfort of rooting for a baseball team like the New York Yankees or Philadelphia Phillies is that even when they putter out of the playoffs in humiliating fashion, as they did this season, fans can still grasp a general idea of what next year will look like. The baseball postseason is always a crapshoot, but this is what distinguishes a Cinderella run from a window of contention. A core is built for the next few years, ownership has the motivation to bolster that core with trades or free-agent signings, and fans have the luxury of declaring "GG go next.""
"Following the team's postseason elimination a few weeks ago, Mariners chairman John Stanton went old-school with a full-page ad in the Seattle Times to declare that those days are over. "The Northwest deserves a World Series," the message read. "I know we are going to get there. This is the beginning of a special era of Mariners Baseball. There is work to do to take that final step. That work starts now." And, miracle of all miracles, Stanton seems to be putting his money where his mouth is."
The Mariners were eliminated in the ALCS by the Toronto Blue Jays, with shaky bullpen management contributing to the loss. The team had bought at the trade deadline aiming for a World Series, but several key acquisitions, including Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor, were on expiring deals. Mariners ownership historically resisted heavy spending, which hampered long-term contention. Chairman John Stanton placed a full-page ad promising a new era and declared the Northwest deserves a World Series. Stanton now appears to be increasing investment, with a report that Josh Naylor agreed to a five-year contract pending a physical.
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