Advertisement

Yankees' World Series odds get notable boost with Giancarlo Stanton trade

Giancarlo Stanton trade has World Series odds moving in Yankees favor. (AP)
The reported Giancarlo Stanton trade has World Series odds moving in Yankees’ favor. (AP)

The rich got richer on Saturday as the New York Yankees agreed to acquire reigning National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins. The trade is still pending Stanton’s approval and a physical, but it’s fully expected to be completed in the next day or two.

Not surprisingly, the Yankees’ World Series odds saw an immediate and notable boost when news of the trade agreement broke. The Yankees entered Saturday as 8-1 favorites according to the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook. That put them comfortable in the top six. After news of the Stanton trade came down, they quickly moved to 6-1 favorites.

Only the Los Angeles Dodgers at 9-2 have better current odds. The Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians also come in at 6-1.

The baseball offseason always keeps the oddsmakers busy. Perhaps no 24-hour stretch has been a better example of that. On Friday afternoon, the Los Angeles Angels reached an agreement with Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. As a result, the Angels World Series soared from 50-1 to 30-1, which might be as big a jump as one signing can influence.

Then again, that might be relative to where Ohtani went. Stanton is another guy who would definitely move the needle in a big way for most teams. The Yankees just aren’t one of them. Already equipped with a deep and dangerous lineup that includes Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, the Yankees didn’t need Stanton to be considered favorites. Had Stanton accepted a trade to the Cardinals or Giants, then we’d be talking about a big boost.

Now the big question is, what would it take for the Yankees to actually move past the Dodgers. We’re guessing a lot. The Dodgers’ depth is at another level entirely, and it’s not likely the Yankees will be able to pull off a deal big enough to really challenge them in the oddsmakers’ eyes. At least not this winter. Next winter will be a different story. But by then the entire MLB landscape could be completely different.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!