How much did Red Sox World Series odds improve following Chris Sale trade?
The Chicago Cubs are still the team to beat, according to Bovada Las Vegas oddsmakers, but a flurry of moves on Tuesday has the Boston Red Sox right on their heels.
In a span of hours, Boston added another ace by acquiring Chris Sale in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. They also picked up a critical bullpen piece, trading for right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers. To cap off their big afternoon, Boston signed first baseman/designated hitter Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal.
Though the Red Sox also parted with coveted prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech, that series of moves changed the landscape quickly, moving Boston from a 9/1 favorite on Nov. 3 to a 11/2 on Wednesday. That closed the gap on Chicago, which was a 7/2 favorite the day after winning the 2016 World Series, and is now a 15/4 favorite.
Here’s a look at Bovada’s current top ten based on the offseason moves made so far, with their Nov. 3 odds in parenthesis.
Cubs: 15/4 (7/2)
Red Sox: 11/2 (9/1)
Nationals: 9/1 (12/1)
Indians: 12/1 (14/1)
Astros: 12/1 (16/1)
Dodgers: 14/1 (9/1)
Yankees: 14/1 (25/1)
Giants: 14/1 (14/1)
Mets: 18/1 (14/1)
Blue Jays: 20/1 (14/1)
Despite a disappointing exit in the postseason and the retirement of David Ortiz, Boston has been the American League favorite all along. Still, the movement we’ve seen in the wake of the Sale acquisition is significant. It means the Cubs and Red Sox are likely to remain strong favorites throughout the offseason and well into the 2017 season, when we’ll get a better idea of where every team stands.
A couple other changes worth noting involve Boston’s longtime rival, the New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both currently sit at 14/1, along with the San Francisco Giants, but that represents a notable rise for the Yankees, and a big fall for Dodgers, who have yet to make an offseason impact.
The positioning of the second tier teams is fluid with several big decisions and trades yet to be made, but the trends certainly speak to which teams are positioned well and which teams could be scrambling in the weeks ahead.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
