Updated World Series Odds: Dodgers Win the Trade Deadline

• The Dodgers improved their odds of winning the 2018 World Series by acquiring Manny Machado and Brian Dozier at the trade deadline
• Is LA now a lock to win its second consecutive pennant? 
• Will Dozier rediscover his stroke in Los Angeles? 

Bryce Harper can breathe a sigh of relief. For now, at least. The Nationals outfielder was not dealt before Major League Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline on Tuesday despite being one of the hottest commodities on the market. Harper will now presumably finish the season in Washington, where he’ll try to guide the Nats back into the playoffs for the third straight year.

Although Washington didn’t pull the trigger on a deal, plenty of other teams did. The Yankees addressed their pitching needs by adding Zach Britton, JA Happ, and Lance Lynn; the Red Sox added more pop with four-time All-Star Ian Kinsler; the Astros loaded up for the stretch drive with Roberto Osuna, Ryan Pressly, and Martin Maldonado; and the Brewers went all in by picking up Mike Moustakas, Jonathan Schoop, and Joakim Soria.

Of all the transactions completed, bookmakers appear to be most impressed by those made by the Dodgers. The team’s average odds to win the 2018 World Series have improved from +590 on July 25th to +450 on July 31st. LA is now available as short as +400 and as long as +500.

The Dodgers were among the first teams to wheel and deal last Wednesday when they acquired Manny Machado from the Orioles for five prospects. The two-time Gold Glover reached base four times in his Dodgers debut and is hitting .305 with two home runs and five RBIs in his first 11 games with the club.

LA addressed another area of need on Tuesday when they acquired Brian Dozier from the Twins for veteran second baseman Logan Forsythe and a pair of minor leaguers. The 31-year-old  infielder set an American League record for home runs by a second baseman in 2016 and finished 11th in MVP balloting last season when he hit .271 with 34 homers and 93 RBI.  The Dodgers will benefit greatly from his power and Gold Glove-calibre defense.

Dozier to the Dodgers… I am sad, ,but I fully understand… What a career Brian Dozier had with the #MNTwins… Sometimes the business of baseball stinks… and now I have to tell my daughter.

— Seth Stohs (@SethTweets) July 31, 2018

LA made another smaller deal closer to the 4:00 p.m. trade deadline when they scooped up right-handed reliever John Axford from the Blue Jays for minor leaguer Corey Copping. The 35-year-old journeyman is 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA and has struck out 50 batters in 51 innings. Axford will be used primarily in situational relief, as left-handers are batting just .147 against him this season.

The Dodgers acquired Manny Machado, Brian Dozier, and John Axford in a luxury-tax reset year.

— Frank López (@BeisbolFrank) July 31, 2018

The Dodgers have won five of their last ten games and hold a narrow 0.5 game lead over the Diamondbacks in the AL West. They’ll have a chance to show just how much they’ve improved their roster over the next week as they face a trio of playoff contenders in the Brewers, Astros, and A’s.

The Dodgers’ improved odds have come at the expense of the Red Sox and Yankees, both of whom experienced a slight drop-off in our latest tabulations. Boston is 7-3 in its last ten games, but recently put ace Chris Sale on the DL with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, and whiffed on acquiring a quality starter at the deadline to slot in the back of their rotation.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have lost two in a row and are without the services of Aaron Judge, who is out for at least three weeks after fracturing his right wrist, and Gary Sanchez, who is out until late August after aggravating his groin. The two players have combined for 40 home runs and 103 RBI this season, and their production will be sorely missed.

Be sure to visit our 2018 World Series Odds Tracker regularly to see how the title odds for all 30 MLB teams fluctuate during the remainder of the season.