Betting Odds as MLB Winter Meetings Get Going in Nashville

Shohei Ohtani's Free Agency and Betting Odds

News on the Shohei Ohtani front took another turn today, with media reports that the Atlanta Braves have entered the fray, bidding for the services of the prized free agent pitcher and hitter.

Ken Rosenthal reported that the Blue Jays and Ohtani were believed to have met yesterday at the team’s Florida complex. That would explain why Jays’ general manager Ross Atkins wasn’t available for the traditional in-person meeting with media members at beginning of the winter meetings in Nashville, saying he had a “scheduling conflict”. He hosted the call instead via Zoom. That set media speculation ablaze. USA Today is reporting today that the Chicago Cubs' hopes of signing Ohtani have "significantly waned".

Ohtani batted .304, with 44 homeruns and 95 RBIs in 599 trips to the plate with the Anaheim Angels last season. His OPS was 1.066 – first in the league. This morning, theScore Bet has Ohtani at 13.00 to hit the most home runs this upcoming season (Aaron Judge, 4.50, Matt Olson 8.00, Kyle Schwarber 9.00, and Pete Alonso at 9.50 are ahead of him).

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Ohtani also started 23 times as a pitcher in 2023 - 132 innings pitched - and had a 3.14 ERA, with 167 strikeouts. 

And those stats were in a season that was cut short by UCL surgery. Whoever signs him for 2024 will only be able to call on his bat next season and will have to wait for the following season to get him back on the pitching mound.

According to a NorthStar Bets special market today, odds that Ohtani’s next team will be the Blue Jays are 3.50. The Los Angeles Dodgers are considered front runners. But also don’t rule out Ohtani returning to the Angels.

Also, according to NorthStar Bets, the Dodgers are 1.91, then the Jays, Chicago Cubs at 5.00, Angels at 7.50, then the Braves at 8.50, and the San Francisco Giants at 9.00. The New York Yankees are at 12.00.

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MLB Team Betting Odds and Potential Transfers

Ohtani isn’t the only news generating online betting interest. The San Diego Padres are reportedly in a cost-cutting mode and are open to trading outfielder Juan Soto. The Yankees were reportedly front runners to trade for him but that doesn’t appear to be the case. The Blue Jays are believed to be negotiating with the Padres, and there’s no doubt a trade package there would have to include pitcher Alec Manoah. 

Fox News reports the Jays as favourites to acquire him. Soto batted .275, with 35 homeruns and 109 RBIs, and a .930 OPS, for the Padres last season. Soto would dramatically remake the Jays’ offence, with Kevin Kiermaier, Matt Chapman and Brandon Belt likely out the door as free agents.

But both Ohtani (who would cost someone north of $500 million), and Soto, for the Jays? Likely not, according to Atkins yesterday.

Also, according to NorthStar Bets, the New York Mets are the favourites to sign Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3.50), followed by the New York Yankees at 4.00, Boston Red Sox (5.00), Los Angeles Dodgers (5.75) then Any Other Team (7.00). The Blue Jays are reportedly in on that, as well, with Atkins having already been to Japan to scout him.

Yamamoto could sign for over $250 million. In seven seasons in Japan, he pitched for a 1.72 ERA.

Jays’ current World Series odds are 17.00 at BetMGM, American League odds are 8.50.

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