Justin Verlander To Red Sox? How Oddsmakers View Blockbuster Trade Idea

It’s been a disastrous season for the Mets, who are unlikely to make the playoffs despite a record-setting payroll, and it’s therefore reasonable to wonder whether New York might sell off pieces before the Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Justin Verlander probably isn’t going anywhere, seeing as he’s under contract for $43.3 million next season and has a $35 million vesting option for 2025. But it’s still a fascinating hypothetical to consider, especially with DraftKings Sportsbook releasing odds on which team Verlander will throw his first pitch for after the Aug. 1 deadline.

The Mets, unsurprisingly, are the favorites, with -200 odds as of Wednesday night.

The San Francisco Giants (+700) and Los Angeles Dodgers (+950) — two National League West teams unafraid to make a splash — then sit atop the betting board among non-Mets teams, followed by the Texas Rangers (+1200), Baltimore Orioles (+1200) and Houston Astros (+1300).

So, what about the Boston Red Sox?

Well, they have +2500 odds to acquire Verlander, per DraftKings Sportsbook, meaning a $100 bet would net you $2,500 if Boston landed the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the same odds. The Atlanta Braves (+2800), Cincinnati Reds (+3000) and Tampa Bay Rays (+4500) then follow Boston and Toronto.

If none of the aforementioned MLB clubs tickle your fancy, you always could place a wager on “Any Other Team” at +1800. Perhaps it’s indicative of the unlikelihood of the Red Sox swinging a trade for Verlander that their odds sit below the field, which consists of the 19 teams not listed above.

The Red Sox are starting to look like potential buyers at the trade deadline, as they remain very much in the thick of the American League wild-card race. It’s hard to imagine them swinging for the fences with a blockbuster for Verlander, though.

Maybe trading for a Mets reliever is more realistic.