Steve Starr
- Bovada has updated its 2019 World Series odds for all 30 Major League Baseball clubs
- The Dodgers (+265) and Yankees (+280) remain the favorites before the July 31 trade deadline
- The Cubs (+1200) and Indians (+1600) are surging while the Rays flail (+3300)
With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline (July 31) just a week away, contenders will soon ship out the usual mixed bag of minor-league prospects for proven big-league talent and bullpen arms.
While the impending deals will cause the World Series chances of buyers and sellers to surge and sour, there have already been wild swings in the odds since we last checked in at the All-Star break. Let’s examine the recent risers and fallers at Bovada.
2019 World Series Odds
| MLB Team | Odds |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | +265 |
| New York Yankees | +280 |
| Houston Astros | +400 |
| Atlanta Braves | +900 |
| Chicago Cubs | +1200 |
| Minnesota Twins | +1400 |
| Cleveland Indians | +1600 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +2000 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +2500 |
| Oakland Athletics | +2500 |
| Washington Nationals | +2500 |
| Boston Red Sox | +2800 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +2800 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +3300 |
| San Francisco Giants | +4000 |
| Los Angeles Angels | +6600 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | +7500 |
| Texas Rangers | +8000 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +10000 |
| San Diego Padres | +10000 |
| Colorado Rockies | +15000 |
| New York Mets | +15000 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | +17500 |
| Chicago White Sox | +50000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +400000 |
| Detroit Tigers | +400000 |
| Kansas City Royals | +400000 |
| Miami Marlins | +400000 |
| Seattle Mariners | +400000 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +400000 |
Cleveland Indians
After cutting the Twins 11.5-game lead in the AL Central down to just three games, the Indians’ odds have jumped from 35-1 to 16-1 since the mid-summer classic.
In fact, this whole win streak unfolded much like the movie Major League. Management would’ve preferred the team to lose and make their Trevor Bauer decision easier, but the players just kept racking up wins while removing articles of clothing from a nude cardboard cutout of owner Paul Dolan (that last part is unconfirmed).
30 years ago today, ‘Major League’ hit theaters. ⚾️@BillBender92 shares 30 things we still love about this classic baseball movie: https://t.co/AmtuIAO0Q0 pic.twitter.com/MEJgNcMLyI
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 7, 2019
It’s tough for Cleveland to trade their ace while in the race, but Bauer’s a free agent after the 2020 season and as one of the top starters available at the deadline, his value will never be higher.
Chicago Cubs
Moving from 20-1 to 12-1 in just two weeks, the Cubs won seven of eight games after the All-Star break and are traditionally a second-half juggernaut under manager Joe Maddon.
Currently leading the NL Central, Chicago has been linked to both Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos and reliever Shane Green at the deadline.
The Chicago Cubs are:
7-1 since All-Star break ?
9-2 in our last 11 ?
36-17 at home ?#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/6ggiC9RFiV— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 20, 2019
Given they just blew their 17th save in 41 chances on Monday to the Giants—a club that has won 15 of 18 games to raise their World Series odds from 150-1 to 40-1— the Cubs should probably prioritize their bullpen.
Tampa Bay Rays
While still squarely in contention for the second wild card spot, the Rays recently suffered through a five-game losing streak and barely resemble the club that started the season on a 14-5 run.
Everything started going downhill when starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (and his dazzling 1.27 ERA) went down in mid-May. Things snowballed from there and Tampa Bay is actually under .500 since June 11.
#Rays righty Tyler Glasnow might not return this year: https://t.co/1X4LQt022A pic.twitter.com/q3w7k9cmGS
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 16, 2019
Traditionally a small-market seller at the deadline, the Rays could parlay their stocked farm system into a starter, closer and/or right-handed hitter. However, with a payroll $75 million south of the MLB average, don’t expect them to take too big of a swing at the deadline.
