Baseball odds fans could have hardly asked for a better 2010 World Series matchup than the one we got. With the faint sound of champagne corks popping echoing throughout the night and the sweet smell of victory cigar still wafting through the air somewhere in San Francisco, the Giants are likely still celebrating the team’s first MLB odds World Series title in more than half a century.
But while the Giants finish off their victory celebration the rest of the Major League teams are already back at work trying to shape of their rosters for the upcoming 2011 MLB lines action.
With the 2010 World Series now in the rearview mirror and no games scheduled for another five months the next item on the agenda for any team competing in the MLB odds is free agency and offseason trades.
This off season there’s a huge class of free agents and some big names and big talent available for hire.
Headlining the 2010 free agent class is Texas Ranger pitcher Cliff Lee. Lee is coming off an incredible postseason with Texas in which he fell just short of capturing his first World Series trophy and came short in the biggest moment of his career giving up the winning run in the top of the 7th in Game 5 vs. the Giants. Nonetheless, his 3-2 record (2.78 ERA, 47 Ks in 35.2 IP) in the 2010 MLB Playoffs will have teams drooling for his services.
Obviously the New York Yankees are going to throw heaps of money at him in order to entice him to the Big Apple but the fans there might have blown it by abusing his wife during the ALCS this season. Expect the New York Mets and Possibly even the Red Sox to aggressively pursue him as well.
The top position player in the 2010 free agency class is the Tampa Bay Rays LF Carl Crawford. Crawford would be an upgrade in the MLB odds for almost any team after batting .307 with 19 HRs, 110 Runs and 90 RBIs. The Red Sox are expected to make a strong push for him.
Free Agency may be the place where the big moves affecting the MLB lines action happen, however, as P KC’s Zach Greinke, Milwaukee’s 1B Prince Fielder and San Diego’s 1B Adrian Gonzalez all appear to be on the trading block.