Bettors who spent the past week speculating about Juan Soto’s trade to the San Diego Padres saw their wishes fulfilled Tuesday when the MLB deadline’s biggest blockbuster became reality.
The Padres, currently positioned as the National League’s second wild card, saw their odds to win a franchise-first World Series improve from 25/1 to 10/1 when word came down that Soto was theirs.
“(There’s) still a lot of tough teams in the National League,” Las Vegas SuperBook Vice President Jay Kornegay cautioned in the minutes after moving his shop’s number on the Padres from 14/1 to 10/1.
Soto, 23, helped lead the Washington Nationals to a World Series title. The Padres showed similar aspirations after obtaining Soto and first baseman Josh Bell in exchange for a staggering package of prospects that sends San Diego’s two bejeweled young players — starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams, along with elite prospect Robert Hassell III — to Washington.
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When Fernando Tatis Jr. returns (a left wrist injury has kept him on the sideline this season), the Padres will offer a lineup including Tatis, Soto and Manny Machado — potentially to the plate in succession.
Additionally, the Padres added NL saves leader Josh Hader to their staff in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers Monday. San Diego ranks eighth in MLB team ERA with a starting staff that includes Yu Darvish and recently extended Joe Musgrove.
The Padres (58-46) started Tuesday trailing the 2020 World Series champion Dodgers (69-33) by 12 games in the National League West. The teams have 12 regular-season meetings remaining.
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MLB National League pennant odds
Outfielder Soto, batting .246 with 21 home runs and 46 RBI, will likely make his debut Wednesday night in a home game against the Colorado Rockies.
His addition moves the Padres from 9/1 to 9/2 as the third favorite to win the National League pennant, leaping past the Brewers and defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves.
In the NL, the Dodgers are the 3/2 favorite, followed by the New York Mets (4-1), the Padres and Braves (5/1) and Brewers (7/1).
The St. Louis Cardinals, who began Tuesday trailing the Braves, Padres and Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card chase — and were perceived as runner-up in the Soto sweepstakes — are now 25/1 to win the NL pennant.
As for the revised World Series odds, the New York Yankees are the new 3/1 favorites, followed by the Dodgers (7/2), Houston Astros (9/2), Mets (9/1), Padres (10/1 ) and Braves (12/1).
If the season ended today, the Padres would be assigned a best-of-three playoff series played in Atlanta. The Braves began Tuesday with a 4 ½-game lead over San Diego.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Juan Soto trade: San Diego Padres get betting bump from massive deal