We are getting a bit sissified about all this, though. There are 3 Wild Card teams in each league now. If that ain't enough for you, maybe it's your fault.
As for the AL/NL relative strength thing, this should be a random variance that evens out over time. It's not like NL teams aren't spending (Dodgers/Mets/Braves/Phillies/Padres/Giants).