2023 Major League Baseball Preview: Offseason Moves and World Series odds

It’s March so there may still be a chill in the air for some baseball fans but, believe it or not, the 2023 Major League Baseball season is just a few weeks away. Opening day is Thursday, March 30. It will be a full slate of clubs vying to start the new campaign on the right foot, with start times as early as 1:05 PM EST to well into the evening with contests on the west coast.

With the boys of summer almost back – they’re still stretching their arms and legs in spring training – it’s time to start setting the stage for the upcoming season. We’ll have plenty of predictions and odds to discuss as we inch closer to March 30, but for now, we’ll whet our appetites with an overview of some big offseason moves and general World Series chatter.

Don’t forget to check out our MLB Futures as they develop.

Movers and Shakers

Carlos Correa’s Short Stops

It’s ironic that the Puerto Rican plays shortstop given that’s pretty much what he had in both San Francisco and New York with the Mets. After spending the first seven years of his pro career with the Houston Astros and all the baggage that came along with it, he made the move to the Twin Cities in 2022. He was just as efficient at bat, if not more so. He hit for .291, an enviable .467 slugging percentage and 64 total RBIs.

Following that success, his agent wooed the San Francisco Giants, who offered him $350 million for 13 years. Somehow due diligence waited for the hours before the introductory press conference, which is when team doctors expressed doubts about the player’s ankle. That ended his time in California. The Mets came calling to the tune of $315 million for 12 seasons. Ankle fears reared their heads again, and so he is back in Minnesota with a six-year contract worth $200 million. The Twins were well outside of a playoff spot last year (78-84, third place in the Central Division), thus making Carlos Correa “the guy.”

Justin Verlander joins the Mets

Speaking of the New York Mets, they shouldn’t cry over the milk that spilled during the Correa saga. They snatched up a phenomenal talent in pitcher Justin Verlander. The fact that he is 40 did not deter New York from taking advantage of the golden opportunity.

How could it? First and foremost, as a member of the Astros last year he brings World Series-winning experience with him to New York. Furthermore, he posted an astonishing 1.75 ERA in 2022, which rightfully earned him the American League Cy Young award. His presence bolsters an already good rotation that features veteran Max Scherzer, himself a participant in the Washington Nationals’ 2019 championship run. New York had a great 2022 campaign, finishing 101-61 before falling in the Wild Card Series to the San Diego Padres.

Trea Turner Turns to Philly

Offseason gamesmanship is one of the most fascinating things in sports. Of course, the real drama occurs on the field when the games are played, but owners and general managers are constantly at war. The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers are National League rivals that know a thing or two about playoff baseball. LA is a perennial contender and won it all in 2020. Last year the Phillies were two wins away from tasting glory.

So what did Philly do this past winter? Sign one of LA’s best players, of course. Shortstop Trea Turner now has the Philly faithful backing him up instead of booing him. He brings speed (27 stolen bases last season) a career batting average of .302 and is coming off a 100 RBI campaign in 2022. The best part is that he is only 29 years old, so the Phillies can get many excellent years of productivity out of him.

Willson Contreras Meets St. Louis

Perhaps an offseason move that flew a bit under the radar when compared to the others we’ve mentioned. The 31-year-old catcher has spent his entire career at Wrigley Field, but heads to St. Louis to play for the Cardinals.

The most important objective was to find a suitable successor to franchise legend Yadier Molina. Time will tell if Contreras can reach the heights that Molina did, but at the very least the Cardinals get some dependability behind the plate. He tallied a .819 OPS in 2022, which was his best effort since 2019. He also had a solid .314 CS percentage. It may be too much to expect the world of him from the outset, but the Cardinals are coming off a strong 93-69 and look to build off consistency to make a deeper push in the playoffs.

World Series Winner

What pre-season conversation would be complete without the too-early championship winner prediction?

To no one’s surprise, the Houston Astros lead the charge at +424. They have been remarkably consistent for a few years already (we’ll shy away from saying they are a “model of consistency”), winning two World Series rings and playing in two other finals since 2017. Even seeing Justin Verlander leave for the Mets hasn’t discouraged Vegas from placing them atop the heap.

Of note, the National League representatives in last year’s Fall Classic, the Phillies, rank eighth at +1086. To be fair, their journey through the playoffs felt a bit like a Cinderella run. They had the worst win-loss record of any NL postseason side. Thus, every series win was considered an upset until they met the juggernaut Astros.

The Dodgers and Mets are second and third, respectively. LA sits at +487, which makes sense given that they too have been impressively consistent for a while. Then again, said success has predominantly been restricted to the regular season. They’ve suffered early postseason exits more often than their fans would care to be reminded of – last year comes to mind. As mentioned, the Mets are coming off a wonderful campaign, the second-best in franchise history, and look to follow through on all the promises.

What about Canada’s lone representative, the Toronto Blue Jays? They’re given slightly better odds than the Philly side that made it to the Fall Classic, so that’s something. Toronto places seventh at +782. Truth be told, the Jays did have a strong season. They bolstered their reputation to an extent after a promising 2021 campaign that fell achingly short of playoff participation. 92-70 was good for second in the AL East and a home Wild Card series against the Seattle Mariners. Blue Jays fans don’t need reminding of what happened.

Stay tuned for more MLB content in the weeks leading up to Opening Day!