Brewers’ World Series Odds Improve
The Milwaukee Brewers’ World Series odds climbed over night after they added two key pieces to their outfield on Thursday evening.
When the World Series odds were first released the Brew Crew were 30/1 to win it all and that number went up to 35/1 with the club’s inactivity over the winter. That said, according to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Brewers are now 28/1 to win the 2018 World Series following the additions of Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain.
The Brewers’ odds to win the National League pennant also improved, as they went from 17/1 before those two transactions to 14/1 following those moves. They still don’t have better odds than the Cubs or Cardinals in the NL Central, but one could make the argument that Milwaukee now has a better roster than St. Louis.
Milwaukee acquired Yelich from the Marlins in exchange for outfielders Lewis Brinson and Monte Harrison, infielder Isan Diaz and right-handed pitcher Jordan Yamamoto. Roughly an hour after acquiring Yelich The Athletics’ Ken Roesnethal reported that the Brewers and Cain had come to terms on a deal. Cain returns to his original organization after spending the last seven years in Kansas City with the Royals.
As of this writing, Yelich and Cain make for a crowded outfield because the Brewers still have Ryan Braun, Domingo Santana and Keon Broxton. Somebody is going in that group, if not two players. Braun would be a salary dump, Santana could fetch the Brewers some pitching, while Broxton would get an opportunity to start for most teams in centerfield.
Speaking of which, watch for the San Francisco Giants to be in play if Broxton is moved. The Giants have an entirely new outfield, with additions Andrew McCutchen and Austin Jackson joining Hunter Pence, who is moving to left field. Jackson signed a two-year deal to be the fourth outfielder in San Francisco, which still needs an everyday centerfield. Broxton could cover a lot of ground in that big outfield at AT&T Park and the Giants and Brewers have worked together on a trade as recently as 2016 when San Francisco acquired Will Smith.