Rangers Sports Betting Odds Improve with Cliff Lee. The biggest trade so far this season in Major League Baseball has swung the balance of sports betting power in the American League West to the Texas Rangers. They acquired pitcher Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners in a multi-player deal. The Rangers are already in first place in the division and it is expected that Lee will help them stay there even though he lost vs. the online sports betting odds in his first start with Texas.
Sports betting odds on the Rangers should be interesting to watch in the second half of the season. The Rangers have a powerful offense and with the addition of Lee they should have a better starting rotation. The Rangers seem to have made a good deal as they got Lee and reliever Mark Lowe for first baseman Justin Smoak and three minor leaguers. The deal is likely to only help the Rangers this year as Lee can become a free agent after the season.
Lee was 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA with Seattle but he did not pitch well in his first start for Texas. He gave up six runs, three of which were earned in his first start for the Rangers. He took the loss against Baltimore even though he pitched a complete game. Lee gave up three home runs in the loss. The Rangers are thrilled to have Lee in their rotation but if they had done their homework they might have made a different decision.
Lee has been a great pitcher but one place he has never had any success at is at Texas’ home park in Arlington. Lee has just been awful in his career at Texas and he was no better in his first start there with the Rangers. The Rangers are 3rd in the league in runs scored and their pitching staff before they added Lee was 11th in the league. If Lee can figure out how to pitch in Arlington then perhaps the Rangers will be even better.
The addition of Lee makes the Rangers the favorites in the American League West over the Angels. The pressure could now be on Los Angeles to make a deal although manager Mike Scioscia said the team won’t necessarily make a move in reaction to Texas signing Lee.