San Diego Padres trade All-Star Juan Soto to New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have significantly increased their World Series odds after acquiring outfielder and slugger Juan Soto in a trade with the San Diego Padres. The Yankees now have a +850 chance to win the World Series, becoming the third-highest team on DraftKings' MLB futures board.
Soto hit 35 home runs and had 109 RBIs with the Padres last season. His slash line was .275/.410/.519. In his first six seasons in the MLB, Soto hit 160 home runs and drove in 483 RBIs. He is also a career .284 hitter.
Soto, 25, has one year left on his contract. The Padres made the tough but smart decision to trade Soto to bolster their pitching staff.
When you trade a player like Juan Soto, it's very difficult to get a deal done. ” San Diego general manager A.J. Bruce. “We wanted to make sure we met some requirements. We are able to achieve a certain depth through quality. "
The Yankees sent four pitchers to the Padres in the Soto trade, including Michael King, Jonny Brito, Randy Vazquez and Drew Thorpe. Backup catcher Kyle Higashioka. Will also join the Padres. In addition to Soto, outfielder Trent Grisham is headed to the Bronx to complete the deal.
Soto joins Judge and Bronx Bombers
Despite a slow start, Soto hit a career-best 35 homers with the Padres last season. A left-handed hitter, he was on track to hit 40 homers due to the shorter porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
Outside of 2022 MVP Aaron Judge and infielder Gleyber Torres, the 2023 Yankees are severely lacking in impact.Judge missed 56 games with a toe injury, but the rest of the lineup struggled. The Yankees' roster is unbalanced and dominated by right-handers. They really want to add lefties, especially power hitters.
General manager Brian Cashman addressed one of their biggest issues, acquiring left guard Soto and outfielder Alex Verdugo. The Yankees acquired Verdugo on Tuesday in a rare trade with the Boston Red Sox.
Designated hitter and part-time outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons. His power has declined dramatically since hitting a career-high 59 home runs with the Miami Marlins in 2017. The Yankees hoped Stanton and Judge would provide a pair of formidable "hitting brothers" for the Bronx Bombers, but injuries slowed Stanton down. Since 2019, Stanton has hit just 49 home runs.
The Soto trade restores the dangerous power duo of Soto and Judge. Soto is currently in the final year of his contract, but if the Yankees can sign Soto to a long-term contract, the Bronx Bombers will have the most exciting home run tandem in baseball for the next decade one.
The Yankees have one of the most superstitious fan bases in all of sports. But Soto's transfer has lifted the morale of downtrodden fans after the Yankees missed the playoffs during a disappointing 82-80 season.
Soto Boost: Prop Betting and Futures
After the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series, the Yankees' chances of winning the 2024 World Series were +1,600 when the futures market opened in early November. Earlier this week, the Yankees' odds rose to +1,200 amid rumors that the Yankees and Padres were in talks about a potential trade for Soto.
After news of the Soto trade broke Wednesday, the Yankees' World Series odds dropped to +900 on DraftKings. Fans woke up Thursday morning to find that the Yankees' odds to win their first championship since 2009 are now +850.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are the consensus favorite to win the 2024 World Series at +700 odds. The Dodgers are also the favorite to sign two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the best free agent on the market.
The Atlanta Braves have a +700 chance of winning the World Series, ahead of the Yankees (+850), Houston Astros (+1000) and defending champion Texas Rangers (+1000).
Following the Soto trade, the Yankees are now +450 odds-on favorites to win the AL pennant. The Rangers' chances of winning the pennant for the second consecutive season are +500.
DraftKings posted a bet: "Will Juan Soto hit 45-plus home runs in the 2024 regular season?" There was only one odds, with a "yes" odds of +180. Judge is the most likely to win the home run title next season at +350, followed by Matt Olson (+600), Pete Alonso (+700), Kyle Schwarber (+ 750), Soto (+1000) and Ohtani (+1100)).
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Source: www.casino.org