World Series Odds After Trade Deadline See Yankees, Giants Get Shorter; Mets Fade Despite Additions

• The MLB trade deadline saw dozens of significant transactions
• The Cubs sold off their entire core with Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javy Baez, and Craig Kimbrel going to four different teams
• See the updated World Series odds along with the notable acquisitions

Even if the Chicago Cubs had stood pat, the 2021 MLB trade deadline would have been pretty significant. The LA Dodgers pulled off a sensational heist, adding Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to their already-World Series-winning roster. Perennial MVP candidate Nelson Cruz weant from the Twin Cities to Tampa. And Joey Gallo (Yankees), Jose Berrios (Blue Jays), Kyle Gibson (Phillies), Jorge Soler (Braves), Starling Marte (Athletics), Kyle Schwarber (Red Sox) also found new homes.

When you add in the Cubs selling almost every impact veteran on their active roster, it makes the 2021 deadline one for the ages.

The World Series odds have, understandably, shifted pretty significantly. The table below shows the latest odds, the odds from Wednesday (June 28), and the notable acquisitions for each team.

2021 World Series Odds

Odds as of July 31, 2021.

The “notable additions” column is reserved exclusively for players who could make a significant impact this season.  The Cubs obviously got a massive haul of prospects and their cupboards are now filled to the brim. But that’s not going to be a factor over the next three months.

Mets Fade, Curiously

Two days ago, the New York Mets were the +800 fourth-favorite in the World Series odds. Two days later, after adding Javier Baez and a couple veteran arms (Rich Hill, Trevor Williams), they have faded to +950.

The are a couple reasons to move the Mets in that direction. The most-obvious is that the heavily-favored Dodgers added more shiny ornaments to their embarrassment of riches. Only one team can come out of the National League, and right now it’s the Dodgers vs the field.

The second is that the Phillies and Braves were buyers. Atlanta, in particular, picked up five notable names at the deadline, bolstering its batting order and strengthening the back-end of its pen.

The Phillies only added on truly significant player, but he might be the best player to move (based on 2021 stats). Kyle Gibson is in the thick of the AL Cy Young race with a 2.87 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. He’s managed to compile a 6-3 record on a Texas team with a -116 run differential.

Yankees Gain, But Not Much

The Pinstripes picked up a couple big bats who could make a mockery of the short porch in right at Yankee Stadium. Lefties Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo should make immediate impacts, but the Yankees still have a ton of work to do just to make the postseason, so it’s understandable that they only made a modest move from +1800 to +1700.

The Red Sox have a 7.5-game lead on the Yankees in the AL East, with the Rays just a half-game back of Boston. Leapfrogging both for a division title is a pipedream at this point with 60 games to go.

A strong push post-All Star break has allowed New York to pull within 3.5 games of the second AL Wild Card, though, which currently belongs to Oakland. Only the Mariners (2.5 games back of Oakland) sit in between, and Seattle’s -54 run differential isn’t going to scare anyone east of the Mississippi.