Oh, well, the MLB trade deadline and its madness is in the rearview, and the reviews are in. Here are the biggest MLB betting takeaways from the trade deadline week, including possible effects on the MLB odds to reach the 2015 Major League Baseball playoffs:
A Closer Look at the Biggest MLB Betting Takeaways from 2015 Trade Deadline Week
Toronto is the Team to Beat
Thanks to a management that is very serious about ending the Toronto’s MLB-leading playoff drought, the Blue Jays retooled their title contention kit by acquiring the highly-sought services of true No. 1 starter David Price along with the blockbuster trade-in of Troy Tulowitzki. With an offense that has been the best in the MLB this season (currently owning a baseball-best 561 runs scored in 106 games), and a much-improved pitching unit, very few teams will be able to matchup to the Jays, as they seek to end their 21-year playoff drought.
Cardinals, Royals and Nationals New Talent Will Boost Their MLB Odds
The Cardinals, Royals and Nationals were already laden with talent, but that did not stop them from adding talent last week. To bolster their batting, the Royals brought in Brandon Moss, the Royals added star pitcher Johnny Cueto, who pitched six innings in his Kansas City debut Friday (leaving the game with a 6-3 lead, before the Blue Jays rallied for a 7-6 victory), and Jonathan Papelbon came in as a replacement (if not an upgrade) to Drew Storen in Washington. Going by how the three teams have been faring on in MLB in 2015, they should be the top teams to bank on in the 2015 odds to win the World Series.
The Dodgers Are Good, But are Still Not There…Yet!
Through a three-team deal with the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins, the Dodgers landed two good starters in Mat Latos and Alex Wood, along with two relievers in Luis Avilan and Jim Johnson, which adds a lot of depth to the team. Still, considering the market had better talents like Cole Hamels and David Price, who could have automatically made the Dodgers a formidable unit (instead of gambling with the likes of Latos and Wood), the Los Angeles team is likely to find itself struggling, especially if it qualifies for the playoffs.
The Yankees are Gambling Dangerously
Apart from adding reserve Dustin Ackley and calling up pitching prospect Luis Severino, the Yankees shied away from going for big names that could have made their already good team much better. Maybe it’s because they already have an elite bullpen, or maybe they are feeling complacent about having led the AL East for quite a while, but whatever the case, the gamble taken by the Yankees could prove costly, especially if they face a number of key injuries or the likes of Toronto catch some fire and make life a hell in the division. Not to forget, if they do make it to the playoffs, having star power could have proved very crucial on top of the talents they already have.
The Padres Play it Safe
Rather than sell some of their prized prospects and offseason acquisitions to get some young talent for the future (as was done by many teams that are all but out of title contention in 2015), the Padres chose to keep their players intact, probably to keep its fans happy. From a managerial perspective, particularly looking at the team in terms of posterity, the Padres scored an A-plus, but from a business perspective, they got a B-minus, at best.
The Mets Get Saved by the New York Minute
It all seemed lost, as all the New York trade plans repeatedly hit a brick wall, getting fans really irked, as they accused the management of not doing enough to make the team better. But, Alas! Yoenis Cespedes happened, jumping ship from Detroit to New York just when the trade deadline was about to be closed, and with that, hope of a playoff run was restored. The fact that Cespedes has been having a better season than Carlos Gomez, who flirted publically with the Mets before secretly choosing the Astros, is an added plus to New York fans, as they now have their turn of rubbishing the wrong one who got away!
No Joke, the Astros Mean Serious Business!
As if getting back to the top of the AL West was not enough proof that the Astros were serious about their contention for the divisional title and a playoff berth, they managed to dissuade star outfielder Gomez from joining the Mets, getting him all for themselves. And to top it all up, they also added a firm starter in Scott Kazmir to improve their rotation and claimed right-hander Mike Fiers to add more depth to their pitching. If you still think Astros mean funny business in the MLB odds, well, the joke’s on you because they mean that exact opposite!
