Steve Starr
- BetOnline installed the Yankees (+325) as the new 2020 World Series favorites after the team signed Gerrit Cole
- The Nationals (+1400) re-signed playoff hero Stephen Strasburg, but lost the always-clutch Anthony Rendon to the Angels (+1600)
- Three-time World Series champion Madison Bumbarger signed with Arizona (+5000)
After baseball’s last offseason was defined by cries of collusion, clubs are back to spending big-time money this winter and it’s making superagent Scott Boras an extremely rich man.
Three of his clients, Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon, signed contracts worth a combined $824 million last week and he still has a handful of other top players on the market.
As Boras skims his usual five percent and laughs all the way to the bank, let’s recap all the free-agent signings and look at the updated 2020 World Series odds at BetOnline.
2020 WORLD SERIES ODDS
| MLB Team | Odds |
| New York Yankees | +325 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +700 |
| Houston Astros | +900 |
| Atlanta Braves | +1200 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1200 |
| Washington Nationals | +1400 |
| Boston Red Sox | +1600 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +1600 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +1600 |
| New York Mets | +1600 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +1600 |
| Chicago Cubs | +2000 |
| Chicago White Sox | +2000 |
| Minnesota Twins | +2000 |
| Cleveland Indians | +2500 |
| Oakland Athletics | +2500 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +3300 |
| San Diego Padres | +3300 |
| San Francisco Giants | +3300 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +3300 |
| Colorado Rockies | +4000 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +5000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +5000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +5000 |
| Texas Rangers | +5000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +10000 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +10000 |
| Detroit Tigers | +15000 |
| Miami Marlins | +15000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +25000 |
YANKEES INK GERRIT COLE TO MONSTER DEAL
Finally, the evil empire is back! With cheating organizations like the Patriots and Astros making them look like choir boys by comparison, the Yankees finally broke the bank to put somebody in pinstripes.
New York handed American League Cy Young runner-up Gerrit Cole a record-setting nine-year, $324 million contract — almost $1 million for every one of his 326 strikeouts last season — reportedly outbidding the Angels, and landing a serious blow to their AL rivals in Houston.
Gerrit Cole’s been for the Yankees ✊ pic.twitter.com/93ucMT29o7
— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) December 11, 2019
After signing the 29-year-old, who went 24-6 with a 2.39 ERA in 2019 if you count the postseason, the Bronx Bombers’ odds jumped from +700 to +325 title favorites, while the Astros fell from +500 to +900.
NATIONALS RE-SIGN STRASBURG BUT LOSE RENDON
Earlier in the week, the defending champs resigned World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg to a $245 million, seven-year contact. Before the Cole deal, it was the highest deal for a pitcher in both total dollars and average annual value at $35 million.
Washington’s odds actually dropped from +800 to +1400, however, as just a few days later they would lose Anthony Rendon to the Angels (+1600) on a $245 million, seven-year contract.
The #Angels pivoted quickly. They have reached a deal with Anthony Rendon, and it make pave the way for a pitching move. https://t.co/xsibU66bgb
— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) December 12, 2019
According to FanGraphs, the 29-year-old third baseman’s 19.9 Wins Above Replacement over the past four seasons trails only Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Christian Yelich among position players.
Rumors have the Nationals targeting Josh Donaldson as a replacement, while the Angels are reportedly not done spending yet. If they can land October-legend Madison Bumgarner for new manager Joe Maddon, Los Angeles could be a steal at +1600.
OTHER KEY FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal inked a $73 million, four-year contract with the White Sox (+2000), dealing a blow to the Brewers‘ (+1600) hopes of making a third-consecutive trip to the postseason.
The Phillies (+1200) stole hard-throwing Zack Wheeler from the division-rival Mets with a five-year, $118 million deal, and added shortstop Didi Gregorius on a one-year, $14 million contract.
Dodgers to “shift their focus” to Madison Bumgarner after losing out on Gerrit Cole, per @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/WYth1lufU6
— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) December 11, 2019
Philadelphia now shares the same title odds with the back-to-back NL East champions in Atlanta (+1200), who brought in lefty Cole Hamels and catcher Travis d’Arnaud on short-term deals.
There are obviously some big names left on the market (third-baseman Josh Donaldson, outfielder Yasiel Puig, and lefty starters Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel), but there likely won’t be any more seismic shifts in the World Series odds until the season starts.
