Houston Astros Now Favored to Win 2019 World Series After Trade Deadline Passes

• The Houston Astros acquired Zack Greinke at the trade deadline, along with Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini
• Greinke has compiled a WAR of 4.1 this season
• With Greinke in tow, the Astros now have four starting pitchers who rank in the top-18 for WHIP

The Houston Astros made a stunning move at the trade deadline when they acquired ace Zack Greinke from the Arizona Diamondbacks. They were already among the World Series front runners before the move, but now they’re the clear-cut favorite. With the Astros 2019 World Series odds at +300 are they worth a bet, or is this too short of a price?

Odds to Win 2019 World Series

*Odds taken 08/01/19.

Astros Acquire Greinke

The Astros landed a big fish in Justin Verlander a couple of years ago at the trade deadline and that propelled them to a World Series win. The same mood is in the air in Houston after the team picked up Greinke on Wednesday. It’s going to galvanize a team that was already en route to contending. They’re now the team to beat.

What Does Greinke Add?

The Astros already had three pitchers who were in the Top 18 in terms of WHIP with Justin Verlander (1st), Gerrit Cole (5th) and Wade Miley (18th). Now they just added Greinke, who is third in that category. His WAR is 4.1, which means that he’s quite an impactful addition at this point.

The reality is that now opponents will have to go through Verlander, Cole, Greinke and Miley in a playoff series and that’s quite daunting. While some teams might have a comparable rotation, nobody has three aces and a really good fourth starter. The other playoff contenders will have to hope that at least one of these studs is off his game.

Who Else Can Challenge In The American League?

The New York Yankees have been the supposed top contender for the AL Pennant with the Astros, but their roster looks like it’s in shambles compared to Houston. Sure, they have a great batting lineup, but look at their starting pitching. They don’t have a single starter with an ERA better than 4.70.

[The Yankees] don’t have a single starter with an ERA better than 4.70.

And while the Yankees have an excellent bullpen, you have to start wondering are they going to get strung out by the time October hits. They’ve been eating up a lot of innings. They’re still waiting on Luis Severino and Dellin Betances but can they rely on those studs even though they haven’t pitched this year?

As for the Minnesota Twins, they’re cute and all but they needed starting pitching and they didn’t get any. They were already behind in the pitching category but now the Astros have zoomed miles ahead. Pitching wins championships and we know that the Twins and Yankees are severely lacking.

As for the Cleveland Indians, they might be the biggest threat to the Astros. They added two 20+ home run players at the deadline – something that’s never been done before. They did lose a starter in Trevor Bauer but they have Danny Salazar, Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco coming back. On top of that, they have the league’s best bullpen in terms of ERA.

What’s The Best Bet?

With World Series odds of +300 on the Astros, you have to ask yourself: are they going to win the American League Pennant? The reason that’s the question is because if you believe so, you’ll – at the very least – be able to hedge your World Series bet on them. Alternately, you can simply bet them to win the AL Pennant.