World Series odds for the second half

[Dback Jon]

Detroit Tigers - 13/2
St. Louis Cardinals - 7/1
Atlanta Braves - 8/1
Boston Red Sox - 9/1
Los Angeles Dodgers - 9/1
Oakland Athletics - 10/1
Texas Rangers - 12/1
Cincinnati Reds - 15/1
Washington Nationals - 15/1
Pittsburgh Pirates - 16/1
Tampa Bay Rays - 16/1
Baltimore Orioles - 18/1
Arizona Diamondbacks - 20/1
Cleveland Indians - 25/1
New York Yankees - 28/1
Los Angeles Angels - 33/1
San Francisco Giants - 33/1
Toronto Blue Jays - 40/1
Philadelphia Phillies - 50/1
Colorado Rockies - 66/1
Kansas City Royals - 75/1
San Diego Padres - 100/1
New York Mets - 250/1
Chicago Cubs - 500/1
Chicago White Sox - 500/1
Minnesota Twins - 500/1
Seattle Mariners - 500/1
Milwaukee Brewers - 1000/1
Houston Astros - 5000/1
Miami Marlins - 5000/1

http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/7/17/4531690/world-series-odds-for-the-second-half

 

[Brian]

Barring injury, the Dodgers are going to win the west and the D-Backs won't make the playoffs.

Looking at the current rosters, the Dodgers are simply the better team. Unless the D-backs improve their pitching, and unless some of these hitters start hitting better (Prado, Ross, Kubel, Montero) there is no way they hang on to first place.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Barring injury, the Dodgers are going to win the west and the D-Backs won't make the playoffs.

Looking at the current rosters, the Dodgers are simply the better team. Unless the D-backs improve their pitching, and unless some of these hitters start hitting better (Prado, Ross, Kubel, Montero) there is no way they hang on to first place.

You're right, there is a huge gap in talent between us and the Dodgers but I'm not willing to crown them just yet. They still have enough head-cases in that locker room that I wouldn't rule out an implosion and I doubt that their Yankee first baseman turned manager is strong enough to control them.

Steve

 

[Dback Jon]

You're right, there is a huge gap in talent between us and the Dodgers but I'm not willing to crown them just yet. They still have enough head-cases in that locker room that I wouldn't rule out an implosion and I doubt that their Yankee first baseman turned manager is strong enough to control them.

Steve

Yup - on paper, they are much stronger. But...not sure if that talent will show up enough the rest of the year.

 

[Brian]

You're right, there is a huge gap in talent between us and the Dodgers but I'm not willing to crown them just yet. They still have enough head-cases in that locker room that I wouldn't rule out an implosion and I doubt that their Yankee first baseman turned manager is strong enough to control them.

Steve

My biggest worry is the starting pitching. We have Corbin, and then what?

Miley, better lately, but you never know. Still getting bit by the big inning.

Delgado, when his change-up is down, he's awesome. When it's not....

Skaggs, still needs more work.

Cahill, McCarthy, Kennedy....

 

[AzStevenCal]

My biggest worry is the starting pitching. We have Corbin, and then what?

Miley, better lately, but you never know. Still getting bit by the big inning.

Delgado, when his change-up is down, he's awesome. When it's not....

Skaggs, still needs more work.

Cahill, McCarthy, Kennedy....

I guess I'm just not as concerned over our starting pitching as you are. I worry more about our closing situation and our invisible bats. We're just not a great team. I think we're more over-acheivers than anything especially considering the injured players we were missing for most of the first half of the season. I think we're roughly average at all three of these areas but a strong closer or a good starter or a Goldy type hitter could keep us in contention all season. I'm against mortgaging our future to improve but the kind of fix we need to keep us in the playoff run shouldn't have to break the bank.

Steve

 

[Brian]

I guess I'm just not as concerned over our starting pitching as you are. I worry more about our closing situation and our invisible bats. We're just not a great team. I think we're more over-acheivers than anything especially considering the injured players we were missing for most of the first half of the season. I think we're roughly average at all three of these areas but a strong closer or a good starter or a Goldy type hitter could keep us in contention all season. I'm against mortgaging our future to improve but the kind of fix we need to keep us in the playoff run shouldn't have to break the bank.

Steve

I was looking around the league for small market teams, that are out of contention but happen to have a legit closer. One name that popped out was Glen Perkins, with the Twins. 30 years old, 2.5 mil, 1.82 era, 0.81 WHIP.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6482/glen-perkins

Don't know how long he's tied up with the Twins, or his past history. The numbers and situation is what stuck out to me.

Edit: I found out his contract status, it's VERY reasonable. This is his third consecutive season of very effective relief work and his contract — $3.75 million per year in 2014 and 2015 with a 2016 team option at $4.5 million

 

[AzStevenCal]

I was looking around the league for small market teams, that are out of contention but happen to have a legit closer. One name that popped out was Glen Perkins, with the Twins. 30 years old, 2.5 mil, 1.82 era, 0.81 WHIP.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6482/glen-perkins

Don't know how long he's tied up with the Twins, or his past history. The numbers and situation is what stuck out to me.

Edit: I found out his contract status, it's VERY reasonable. This is his third consecutive season of very effective relief work and his contract — $3.75 million per year in 2014 and 2015 with a 2016 team option at $4.5 million

He'd be a great acquisition unfortunately with him on such a manageable contract they aren't really motivated to move him. Everything I've read suggests they're interested if someone wows them but they're fine keeping him too. He might just be out of our reach.

Steve

 

[TheHopToad]

He'd be a great acquisition unfortunately with him on such a manageable contract they aren't really motivated to move him. Everything I've read suggests they're interested if someone wows them but they're fine keeping him too. He might just be out of our reach.

Steve

He might be out of reach for the D-Backs, but he's the type of guy that the Dodgers will overpay to get. As good as they look on paper, they're not content to sit with what they have. I fully expect another deal or two from LA.

 

[AzStevenCal]

He might be out of reach for the D-Backs, but he's the type of guy that the Dodgers will overpay to get. As good as they look on paper, they're not content to sit with what they have. I fully expect another deal or two from LA.

They don't need him like we need him but yeah, once you've spent a couple hundred million on your players it makes sense to protect that investment by out bidding teams like us. I don't know their minor league situation well enough to know how easy that will be but I'd expect them to give it a try.

Steve

 

[Gaddabout]

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[UncleChris]

Barring injury, the Dodgers are going to win the west and the D-Backs won't make the playoffs.

Looking at the current rosters, the Dodgers are simply the better team. Unless the D-backs improve their pitching, and unless some of these hitters start hitting better (Prado, Ross, Kubel, Montero) there is no way they hang on to first place.

I wouldn't count that chicken before it hatches....
1. We currently have a 2.5 game lead
2. We have 34 home and 33 away games. LA has 31 home and 37 away games.
3. They are playing a tougher schedule than us for the remainder of the season.
4. It is unrealistic to assume that LA is going to continue playing like they have the last 3 weeks or so.

I'm not saying you're wrong, Brian.... Just that the fat lady ain't sung yet...

 

[Brian]

I wouldn't count that chicken before it hatches....
1. We currently have a 2.5 game lead
2. We have 34 home and 33 away games. LA has 31 home and 37 away games.
3. They are playing a tougher schedule than us for the remainder of the season.
4. It is unrealistic to assume that LA is going to continue playing like they have the last 3 weeks or so.

I'm not saying you're wrong, Brian.... Just that the fat lady ain't sung yet...

I think it's very realistic. The only reason I say that, is because we built that 9 1/2 game lead when they were decimated with injuries.

Now they are healthy and playing like they should. I don't think Puig and Hanley are going to keep batting nearly .400, but they do have protection all through their lineup. That's with Crawford not batting his weight.

Their rotation is better than ours, and their bullpen is better than ours.

PLUS they just swept us at home and we have to play them head to head 7 more times.

Of course, injuries can always de-rail everything, so we'll see I suppose.

 

[BC867]

And they are doing it without Matt Kemp. Although he may be lost for the rest of the season.