Daily Red Sox Links: Let’s make some sports bets

Sports gambling is legal or something like that. The Supreme Court took time to make a very important decision about a very important topic and now states other than Nevada can offer sports betting. Heavens be praised. Now that we will be able to gamble on sports, which we totally couldn’t do before, I hopped in my 2004 Honda Civic/time machine and drove down to future New Jersey to lay down a few Red Sox related wagers. They are as follows, with odds that are official and not totally made up by me and my not-well-versed-in-odds-making brain.

Mookie Betts will win an MVP in his career (+180)

According to OddSharks, Betts is currently at +2000 to win the MVP award this season. Considering he is only 25-years-old and has already posted multiple five-win seasons, its perfectly reasonable to think he’ll have a few MVP-caliber campaigns in him during the rest of his career. It might even be this year since he is second in the league in fWAR right now and above everyone in wRC+.

David Price will NOT opt out after 2018 (-250)

Unless he really doesn’t like Dennis Eckersley or wants to go pro in Fortnite, it would be pretty stunning if Price decided to turn down the rest of his deal with the Red Sox, which will pay him more than $30 million in each season through 2022. As an admitted Price stan, I think he will not only stick around, but be a perfectly solid starter, but there was no bet for that at New Jersey Fred’s Casino and Nail Salon.

Andrew Benintendi will make the Hall of Fame (150 to 1 or something like that)

The average Hall of Fame batter reaches about 65.4 WAR in their careers, and generally get to at least 50. Benintendi is currently at roughly 3.7 career WAR by Baseball-Reference reckoning so he still has a lot of work to do, but at just 23-years-old at posting he has plenty of time to do it. Assuming good health, if he played for another 14 years, he would need to accumulate about 4.4 WAR per season. He’s still yet to hit his peak and as Bryan pointed out the other day, his floor is pretty solid already.

Christian Vazquez will make the Hall of Fame (10,000 to 1)

Blake Swihart will be traded in 2018 (-120)

This was the first bet I made when I stepped onto the casino floor. Swihart wants out and there’s no reason to expect otherwise. The Red Sox do not seem to be in any rush to make him a key part of the team, using him extremely sparingly even this year as the two other catchers on the roster struggle. If you love somebody, set them free even if that freedom lands him with the Minnesota Twins or something.

That’s it for now. Soon I will be able to cash in all these winners and leave OTM for the greener pastures of early retirement. I’m certain of it.

J.D. Martinez is doing exactly what he was signed to do: hit gosh darn dingers. (Christopher Smith; MassLive)

He has been just what the doctor ordered in the offseason. (David Schoenfield; ESPN)

Is Martinez the Red Sox player that would be most difficult to find a replacement for? (Matthew Kory; The Athletic) ($$)

Carson Smith is on the DL but that doesn’t mean its time for excuses. (Nick Cafardo; Boston Globe)

Alex Cora is in the thick of it now with the Sox stumbling and a some off-field controversies. (Jen McCaffrey; The Athletic) ($$)

Josh Smith was signed to potentially give the Sox some much needed help in their reliever ranks. (Christopher Smith; MassLive)