Since the NBA All-Star Break stretches to Thursday night before we get a full slate of games, it got me thinking about the other Big Four “B” sport. Why ponder baseball when snow is on the ground, and the windchill rips harder than an Aaron Judge frozen rope down the leftfield line? Well, today is the second and last day position players report to Spring Training, in climates we in the Northeast dream about this time of year.
Arizona is where 2023’s season before the season kicks off as the Kansas City Royals welcome the Texas Rangers Friday. If making plays in the Cactus League is your thing, check for odds later in the week, but let’s look further than that at some futures odds for players that will be donning new jerseys in 2023; specifically a pair of potential pitchers swapping Cys.
Jacob deGrom was the first big-name free agent to change teams when he signed a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers in early December. To no shock to Mets’ fans, the former New York ace will not be with his new team at their Spring facility, Surprise Stadium, for the preseason opener.
After starting just 38 games over the past three years, deGrom is working his way back after experiencing some minor left-side soreness last week. He is expected to throw a bullpen session soon, but Rangers nation, feel free to take a deep breath like Mets faithful have been doing annually.
Despite the slight setback, oddsmakers don’t seem to be phased. The oft-injured 34-year-old is FanDuel Sportsbook’s favorite at +500 to add his first American League Cy Young award to his pair of NL Cys.
On Saturday, deGrom’s former team will open their exhibition season against their new top free agent’s former team. Follow me? In other words, the Mets will visit the Houston Astros at their Spring home in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Flashback to three days after deGrom left the Big Apple for the Lone Star State when Mets brass quickly filled the hole in the rotation left by the departure of their four-time All-Star.
New York inked 2022 World Series champion Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million contract. Like deGrom, the nine-time All-Star looks for his first top pitching honor in the other league.
Verlander is coming off a campaign that netted his third American League Cy Young Award. At 39 years, 227 days, he became the fourth oldest pitcher to grab the hardware and the third oldest in AL history.
If Verlander, who turned 40 yesterday, can land his fourth career Cy Young in his first season with the Mets, he will become the oldest player in NL history to take the prize. He would also join an exclusive club of 11 who have won back-to-back awards. The last hurler to pull off the rare feat? The man he is replacing as, Jacob deGrom, won in 2018 and 2019.
Verlander can one-up his predecessor by becoming the first to go back-to-back in each league.
Oddsmakers aren’t counting out Kate Upton’s husband, as he has the third shortest odds to pull off the trick at +700. Only 2022 NL winner, Miami’s Sandy Alcantara (+500) and Corbin Burnes (+500) of the Milwaukee Brewers, who took the award in 2021, have better odds.
