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PrintThe Toronto Blue Jays haven’t made the playoffs in 20 years.
Now, they’re listed as co-favorites to win the World Series.
It’s a remarkable climb for a team that had the 19th-best odds at most sportsbooks less than two months ago. But that was before the Blue Jays went on a shopping spree, acquiring Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes and Emilio Bonifacio from the Marlins, and later adding Melky Cabrera from the Giants.
On Monday, Toronto announced the signing of Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, solidifying the club’s place as the top team in the AL East and also the league. 5Dimes sportsbook had the Blue Jays at 50/1 to win the World Series in late October, but now lists them at 8/1 along with the Washington Nationals.
The Tigers, Angels and Dodgers are all priced at 10/1.
MLB executives seem impressed by the moves. Fox Sports polled 20 front office employees after the Dickey deal was finalized, and most agreed that the Blue Jays were “clear frontrunners” to win a division recently dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox.
From Fox Sports:
… They received 13 of 20 votes, or 65 percent. Offseason blockbusters tend to have that effect — even for a team that last made the playoffs in Year 1 of the Clinton administration.
… The Industry thinks the 2012 Orioles were a fluke. They were picked to finish last by 10 of the 20 voters, despite returning most of the players who produced a 93-win season and the franchise’s first postseason berth in 15 years.
… The Industry isn’t impressed by Boston’s offseason moves. The Red Sox were the only team that didn’t receive a first-place vote, and they garnered the second most last-place votes (six).
It’s worth noting that the Blue Jays went 73-89 in 2012. Also, offseason shopping sprees proved largely irrelevant last year for the Marlins and Angels, the two teams that made the biggest splashes. Both were among the favorites to win the World Series—and both failed to make the playoffs.
We’ll find out soon enough if Toronto follows a similar path.
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Updated World Series odds [via 5Dimes]
Toronto Blue Jays +800
Washington Nationals +800
Detroit Tigers +1000
Los Angeles Angels +1000
Los Angeles Dodgers +1000
Cincinnati Reds +1200
Texas Rangers +1200
New York Yankees +1250
Atlanta Braves +1600
San Francisco Giants +1600
Philadelphia Phillies +1800
St. Louis Cardinals +1800
Tampa Bay Rays +2000
Boston Red Sox +2500
Oakland Athletics +3500
Arizona Diamondbacks +4000
Baltimore Orioles +4000
Chicago White Sox +4000
Milwaukee Brewers +4000
New York Mets +6600
Pittsburgh Pirates +6600
Miami Marlins +7500
Cleveland Indians +8000
Kansas City Royals +8000
San Diego Padres +8000
Seattle Mariners +8000
Chicago Cubs +10000
Colorado Rockies +10000
Minnesota Twins +10000
Houston Astros +15000
