Even though the MLB sports betting season has concluded, there’s still plenty of news for gambling fans to stay up to date on. The offseason can have drastic implications on a team’s future, with free agency departures, the innumerable trade rumors, and of course the MLB draft. A good offseason is the key to continued success in the MLB, that and continually bringing and developing minor league players. So without any more hesitation, let’s take a look at what’s happened this offseason, as well as any rumors floating around the league.
Earlier this week, the New York Yankees announced a trade that should send ripples through their lineup. On Tuesday, the Yankees announced that the organization had traded Brian McCann, a catcher and designated hitter, to the Houston Astros in exchange for Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman, two up and coming pitching prospects. Many MLB sports betting fans were anticipating this move ever since the offseason began, mostly because of the numerous outlets reporting on various rumors regarding this trade. New York already has Gary Sanchez playing catcher, so it made sense to get rid of the extra baggage and in doing so the Yankees clear up some cap space.
On the other side, Houston needed a catcher ever since Jason Castro decided to test the market with free agency. Either way, McCann is an upgrade from Castro. Also worth noting is that McCann’s hitting style greatly compliments the style the Astros have been chasing for the last couple of years. Last season McCann hit .242/.335/.413 with 20 homers in 492 appearances at the plate. With McCann in the mix, Astros’ fans can expect the Baseball odds to favor Houston more and more.
But the trade for McCann isn’t the only thing that the Astros have been up to. On Thursday, Houston announced that it reached an agreement on a 4-year $52 million contract with free agent outfielder Josh Reddick. Between McCann and Reddick the Astros have already added 30 home runs to their squad. Last season, Reddick hit .281 that included 10 home runs and 37 RBIs in 115 games. McCann split the 2016 season between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now onto the rumors: The Atlanta Braves are reportedly looking to trade for some additional pitching help while the White Sox are seeing if anyone is interested in Chris Sale (supposedly the Washington Nationals are indeed interested). The Astros are allegedly still interested in Carlos Beltran, outfielder for the Texas Rangers, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them closet the deal considering how active they have been this offseason. The Red Sox need to fill the void left by Ortiz’ departure and they are reportedly interested in signing Beltran. It would be interesting to see what kind of MLB sports betting odds the Sox would face with Beltran on the squad.
