Sports Betting Website Gamblers Note Trades for Cards and Padres. The St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres made key moves as they attempt to improve their teams for playoff runs. Both teams are considered World Series contenders in baseball odds at sports betting companies.
Sports betting website odds list the Cardinals at 5-1 to win the World Series while the Padres are 10-1. The Cardinals improved their starting rotation with the addition of Cleveland’s Jake Westbrook while the Padres added St. Louis outfielder Ryan Ludwick. It was a three-way trade between Cleveland, St. Louis and San Diego.
Westbrook was an All-Star with the Indians in 2004. He is 6-7 with a 4.65 ERA in 21 starts this year. He should be a boast to a St. Louis rotation that has been missing Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny. The Cardinals gave up Ludwick but he was not getting a ton of playing time in St. Louis. He is a career .272 hitter though, and two years ago he was an All-Star. He will immediately upgrade San Diego’s offense. Ludwick was hitting .281 with St. Louis with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs. The Padres had already made a deal for Baltimore’s Miguel Tejada on Thursday. Ludwick should move right into the middle of the San Diego order and give some protection for All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. He could hit in the cleanup spot behind Gonzalez or behind Miguel Tejada.
The Cardinals were able to give up Ludwick because rookie Jon Jay has been hitting very well since getting called up. Jay has taken over the right field job and the Cardinals already have Matt Holliday in left and Colby Rasmus in center. St. Louis really needed a pitcher to eat up innings behind Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter and they are hoping that Westbrook can be that guy.
Also included in the three-way trade was San Diego pitcher Nick Greenwood who went to St. Louis. He was 4-4 with a 4.15 ERA at Class A Fort Wayne. The Indians got double-A pitcher Corey Kluber from San Diego. He was 6-6 with a 3.45 ERA at Double-A and led the Texas League in strikeouts.