With the MLB trade deadline in the rearview mirror, several teams really improved their rosters with some big-time moves. As you might have been able to guess, teams also saw their odds climb thanks to some big additions both offensively and in pitching. In this piece, we have MLB futures picks after big trades that were made in the AL and NL that fans are surely going to want to check out.
After being so aggressive ahead of the MLB trade deadline, can the Yankees go on a deep run and win the American League? This is something all of their fans are wondering after New York was able to address some issues for their lineup. The team went out and acquired both Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo, which we don’t have to tell you is massive news for the team.
As of this writing, the Yankees have won eight of their last 10 games and are six games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. Further up north, the Boston Red Sox have struggled immensely and have lost eight of their last 10 games. It’s been a brutal stretch for Boston, while New York has been playing great, highlighted by winning three of four against Seattle.
| MLB odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yanks to win AL | +700 | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Rays to win AL | +550 | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Astros to win AL | +220 | +220 | +220 | +220 |
| White Sox to win AL | +270 | +270 | +270 | +270 |
With Rizzo and Gallo in town, both have had signature moments with the Yankees. Rizzo has smashed some great homers for New York, while Gallo delivered against Seattle with a 3-run game-winning homer in the opening games of the series. It has people really thinking that the Yankees can potentially keep getting better and make noise in the playoffs.
As things stand, the Yankees hold +700 MLB odds to win the American League. That’s the fourth-best AL odds, with Houston at +220, Chicago at +270 and Tampa Bay at +550. This tells you that the Yankees have a bit of an uphill climb to win the American League and get themselves back to the World Series. Will it end up happening? We don’t think so, as we’re going with a different club.
With their strong odds and great moves ahead of the deadline, Houston is our pick to win the American League and for good reason. Entering the deadline, the bullpen was a serious concern for Houston. The Astros simply needed to bring some guys in to provide strong relief. Well, the front office was able to get things done in a big way, highlighted by acquiring Kendall Graveman from the Mariners.
This was a stunning trade, as the night before, the Mariners had beaten the Astros in heart-stopping fashion, highlighted by a late grand slam. The stadium in Seattle was rocking, and folks all over the city were beyond thrilled. Then, Seattle absurdly decided to trade Graveman to Houston. This was an A+ move by the Astros, as Graveman was Seattle’s best bullpen arm.
For Houston to be able to pull this off with a divisional rival was absolutely nuts. Some were even calling it a highway robbery. On the year, Graveman is sporting a 0.72 ERA in 34 games played this season. He’s been superb throughout the year and things have only continued now that he’s taking the bump for the Astros, who are in first place of the AL West standings.
From this chair, we think it’d be incredibly difficult for someone to beat the Astros in the playoffs, as they also have an incredible starting rotation and lineup. While the Chicago White Sox were able to trade for Craig Kimbrel, we don’t believe that will be enough to have them surpass Houston. Indeed, we’re going with the White Sox to win the AL. Do you agree? Check out our MLB betting sites and place a wager.
One of the biggest moves came in the NL, but Kris Bryant to the Giants isn’t enough to overtake the Dodgers moving forward. Los Angeles, which won the World Series last season, holds the No. 1 odds to win the NL and get back to the World Series at +140. Meanwhile for San Francisco, they hold the No. 2 odds at +380, which makes it clear the Las Vegas Sportsbooks think they might be able to win the league.
With that said, you also don’t want to forget about the Brewers, Phillies or Padres, as they’ll hope to try and surprise some people too. Despite that, the fact that the Dodgers were able to not only land Max Scherzer before the deadline, but also bring in stud Trea Turner as well is simply unbelievable. Los Angeles got even stronger than they were before, which is tough to think about for other teams.
Because of all the superstar power, it’s really going to be tough for anyone to beat the Dodgers in the fall. The postseason can’t get here soon enough, as several clubs are hoping to get to the World Series. In the National League, we don’t think that anyone will be able to stop the Dodgers. Mookie Betts, Justin Turner, Corey Seager and others will be set to put on a show. Yup, LA is our pick.
