Price is right for Blue Jays at trade deadline
At least five teams were in hot pursuit of David Price, the ace lefty put in the display window by the Detroit Tigers, and he's not going to the team that needed him most, a team that normally goes on shopping sprees with a credit card and mortgages the future by dealing prospects.
At baseball's trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays became the new Yankees, and now the race is really on in the American League East.
Price was desperately needed in New York, and the Yankees always go get what they need. But this time, the Yankees balked at the price tag and will pay for it in the playoffs. In the meantime, their division lead will shrink with the Blue Jays in pursuit.
"I think the Yankees are kind of resting on how they got this record without looking at what's going to happen in the next two months," said Ed Salmons, Westgate Las Vegas sports book manager. "You would think the Yankees have to do something. How are they not going to add a starter? It's mind-boggling to me."
It's odd, for sure. The Yankees need a No. 1 starter and a shortstop, but it was the Blue Jays who surprisingly wheeled and dealed for Price and Troy Tulowitzki, the best available shortstop on the market.
And it was Toronto that made the biggest move with oddsmakers, getting adjusted from 25-1 to 16-1 odds to win the World Series and from 11-1 to 7-1 to win the AL.
But July deals always trigger knee-jerk reactions — recall the implosion in Oakland a year ago — so it's too soon to declare winners in baseball's annual swap meet. In reality, we won't know how the story ends until October.
It just happened that this July was especially chaotic. The last few days before today's trade deadline have been almost as entertaining as Donald Trump's comical presidential campaign.
The Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers needed to make home improvements and did. The Royals gambled wisely, striking an early deal with Cincinnati for ace right-hander Johnny Cueto before picking up valuable utilityman Ben Zobrist from the A's. The Dodgers did not get Price yet rolled the dice and orchestrated a 13-player trade to net two quality starters — Mat Latos and Alex Wood.
As of today, the Royals are World Series favorites at 7-2 odds, a sign the baseball world has turned upside down.
"The Royals are adding pieces and going for it all this season," said Dave Cokin, a Las Vegas handicapper and ESPN Radio host. "These trades don't always work, but certainly they have to be given an ’A' for effort."
It's clear the Dodgers, with a payroll in the $300 million neighborhood, will spare no expense to ensure their hundreds of TV viewers get to see a top-notch product. Latos will slide into the rotation behind Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Los Angeles and St. Louis, a quiet team at the deadline, are 6-1 co-favorites in the National League.
So, where is the betting value on the futures board? That's a good question, one to ponder while doing some head scratching.
In the NL, it's not with the Chicago Cubs (18-1) or New York Mets (16-1). The Cubs are not moving prospects, which is smart with a team that's still a year away. The Mets bungled a trade with Milwaukee for outfielder Carlos Gomez, who instead went to Houston.
Washington added closer Jonathan Papelbon, but the Nationals are no steal at 7-1 odds. Pittsburgh (12-1) is trying to close the gap on the Cardinals in the Central, while San Francisco (14-1) has closed in on the Dodgers in the West. Both teams have aces — 14-game winner Gerrit Cole for the Pirates and 11-game winner Madison Bumgarner for the Giants — and experience in the postseason.
"I would take a shot on the Pirates," Salmons said. "Cole is a full-fledged No. 1 starter in a playoff series. Pittsburgh is a team that kind of goes under the radar, but I think they are every bit as good as St. Louis and a team that knows how to win in the playoffs."
In the AL, the Los Angeles Angels (12-1) are in the picture, mostly because of Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, but they need more pitching to get over the top.
Houston (16-1) lost out on Cole Hamels but added another lefty, Scott Kazmir. The Astros are intriguing, but they also are young and without postseason experience. So that leaves the Royals, Yankees (8-1) and Blue Jays.
The Yankees are banking on Alex Rodriguez continuing his shocking comeback, but they have a pitching problem. Michael Pineda is injured, Masahiro Tanaka is inconsistent and CC Sabathia's ERA and waistline are inflated. Dealing for a second-rate starter might not be enough.
Toronto is 52-51, six games behind New York, but what's telling is the Blue Jays had the top run differential (plus-103) in the AL.
"You could argue that Toronto is the second-best team in the league, maybe even before the moves," Salmons said. "Hitting was never their problem, and they upgraded with Tulowitzki, and when you add Price, it only makes your pitching better. It looks like the Blue Jays are going to make a big run. The wild card does seem like it's there for the taking. I think the division is still open for them.
"You see all of these moves, and the Yankees make no moves."
The new Yankees are more conservative and, who knows, maybe wiser for the long run. But it's obvious George Steinbrenner is not the boss anymore.
Las Vegas Review-Journal sports betting columnist Matt Youmans can be reached at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. He co-hosts "The Las Vegas Sportsline" weekdays at 2 p.m. on ESPN Radio (1100 AM). Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.
