It’s the day after the Los Angeles Dodgers have been crowned 2020 World Series champions, which can only mean one thing: Time to discuss who will win it all next season.
While we’re not sure yet if MLB will implement any protocols where fans will be able to attend games in 2021, we already have odds, provided by our partner, Pointsbet, on who will be hoisting the trophy at the end of playoffs.
The reigning champion Dodgers lead the pack at +375, meaning a $100 bet wins you $375, followed by the New York Yankees (+700) and San Diego Padres (+750).
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The A's, who are looking to be contenders yet again, have been given the eighth-best World Series odds at +1400.
Things naturally will change following free agency and "hot stove" offseason, and also could change depending on how many games the season will have and if the same rules will be implemented that were experimented with in 2020.
Regardless, there are many factors as to why the A’s again look decent heading into next year.
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San Francisco Giants
The pitching rotation looks solid, especially if A.J. Puk returns strongly from his latest procedure and the rest of the starters (Jesús Luzardo, Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas) come back as the pitchers we know they can be. There’s also a possibility the team could go out and find a reliable starter in free agency or via trade to sweeten the squad’s disposition. That truly could be a game-changer next season.
The A’s infield alone with Matt Chapman, Matt Olson and potentially Tommy La Stella and Marcus Semien (if the team brings those last two back) should be stellar. The good news for A’s fans is that the front office made it very clear they would love to have Bay Area native Semien return, as well as La Stella, who only struck out 12 times last season.
The Giants, meanwhile, have a bit different expectations heading into next season after just barely missing the expanded postseason in 2020. They have been given long odds to win the 2021 title at +7000, tied for 20th-highest out of the 30 MLB teams.
Hey, all good. As I said, anything can, and will, change as we inch toward spring training. And we have no idea what free agency will look like during such an unprecedented time. Despite some clubs saying they’re going to be tight on a budget, the big stars surely will still get paid.
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For San Francisco, they’ll need to concentrate on starting pitching. Yes, most teams will, but their two best pitchers in 2020, Drew Smyly and Kevin Gausman, are hitting free agency.
They have the money to spend, it’s just a matter of if they will or not. But the good news is six-time All-Star Buster Posey will return next season after opting out of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
No matter how much Posey has left in the tank, it surely will be a boost to have his veteran presence back on a Giants team that surprised people in 2020 and hopes to do so again in 2021.
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