Dodgers Listed As Top-5 Odds Favorite To Sign Gerrit Cole
Tonight is game seven of the 2019 World Series. While the curtain will definitely fall on the season we all love so much, it’ll also the last time Gerrit Cole will be in an Houston Astros uniform. Indeed, win or lose; after tonight the Cole free agency sweepstakes begin.
Now, oddsmakers are forecasting the most likely destinations for Cole to sign as a free agent. Equally important, your Los Angeles Dodgers have a seat at the table. While they aren’t the odds-on favorite to get it done, it beats being unlisted at this stage. On a side note, the San Francisco Giants are not on the list for some reason. Therefore, one may deduct that we can cross one California team from our list. It’s been heavily reported that Cole prefers to sign with a California team.
Which team will free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole sign with this offseason?
Angels: +300
Phillies: +400
Yankees: +450
Rangers: +600
Dodgers: +800
White Sox: +1500
Padres: +1800
Cardinals: +2000
Astros: +2500Via @SportsLine Oddsmakers pic.twitter.com/q7OhNS4Vh3
— SportsLine (@SportsLine) October 30, 2019
With that being said, let’s examine the top five.
Top Five Gerrit Cole Free Agency Teams (By Oddsmakers)
- Angels: +300
- Phillies: +400
- Yankees: +450
- Rangers: +600
- Dodgers: +800
First, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim should probably be taken as a serious threat. At this stage they are the leader in the clubhouse at +300, or about three times as likely (by the odds) as the Dodgers to get a deal done with Cole. Rather surprisingly, the Philadelphia Phillies are second at +400 just behind the Angels. Without question, I am surprised to see them that high.
Then in the fifth spot, you have the Los Angeles Dodgers at +800. What this means is if you believe Cole will sign with the Dodgers and you bet $100 on it, it would pay $800. Moreover, odds are just a tool used to forecast the likelihood of an event; if this is all new to you.
By comparison, the Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres (California team), St. Louis Cardinals, and Houston Astros are listed; but as long shots. Still – any team listed at this stage has a hypothetical shot – and these odds can change as quickly as gas prices when it’s dealing with human decision and emotion.
Remember, the Dodgers were the odds on favorite to sign Bryce Harper just a day before he decided to sign with the Phillies on a longer deal.
A Possible ‘In’ For Los Angeles
Finally, it’s a good thing that the Dodgers are listed. With Cole wanting to play in California, what if he decides he wants to go back and pitch in the NL? To quote Dumb and Dumber, ‘so you’re telling me there’s a chance’.
STOP! Dodgers will not get anywhere near Cole. why bring this topic up. If he signs with a team on the West Coast it will be for a division rival or the Angels, not Dodgers.
Oh come on, it doesn’t excite you that we are almost as likely as the Texas Rangers 🙂
We have the money, we have the location, we just don’t have the GM to get it done. We will sign Ryu because he will be willing to take a short term deal. Hill too. They will likely add Hudson on a similar deal as to what they have Kelly. They will also likely add Kendrick. I’m so disgusted
Clint,
Why do you write these types of stories? We all know the Dodgers will not do anything worthwhile in the offseason as previous years. They are just DUMB rumors that will not happen and you know that.
I’m sorry to be blunt about it but we all fans are sick and tired of being taken for suckers by the Dodgers management. They have a lot to prove to us the fans that have been supporting the team year after year just to come up with worn out and cheap players by the start of spring training.
Thank you.
What’s up Vic? I appreciate your passion and the comment. So, this time of year this is just reporting the news. Trying to find any nugget we can that helps to paint the bigger picture for what is going on with the Dodgers for any reader. In short, that is why I write stories like this one. Reading between the lines, I think they Dodgers will be reported ‘in Cole discussion’ but it won’t get much deeper than that. Obviously that is just my personal feeling if I was asked to look into a crystal ball. I also hope they pull off a miracle. Finally, this wasn’t a rumor at all. There is a reason or group of reasons the Dodgers are listed where they are. I don’t know everything that goes into the number, but this should be accurate for where he stands to land now; according to this tool. Thank you for being a fan.
Here’s the real odds of Friedman signing Cole. Zero, zip, zilch, nada!
And we’ll finish 5th in that race – not a chance we’ll sign him.
It’s fun to, play what if scenarios Between the end of the season and spring training. It’s what we do as fans, who want to see our team, in this case the Dodgers improve. Speculation on signing Cole or trading for Lindor or Betts and dreaming of a WS win next fall helps the fall and winter pass by. You can add rookie speculation to this too. The truth is that someone will sign Cole and the Dodgers are one of the few teams with the money to do so. Yes, a lot of us think the front office always goes cheap and seldom makes a great signing that makes a difference. We are probably stuck with last years mistakes, Kelly and Pollock unless we eat a bunch of salary. I personally love seeing home grown talent blossom into all stars, but this winter their are some great opportunities to improve outside the organization and the pressure on the front office has never been greater after losing to the Nationals. Meanwhile the rumors run rampant.
Agree.. it will be another kick the tires but ultimately do nothing off season except for players who are cheap, old and/or have injury history.. reclamation projects
This organization will look for another Joe Kelly to sign and give away another Yordan Alvarez. The dumbest organization when it comes to this type of thing.
Alvarez displayed his Dodger genes this postseason. I don’t miss him
The excuse this time will be Cole demanded too much, too many years, or he’s injury prone now…. Blah Blah blah……Rendon will probably resign in Wash now they are the champs.Be looking for Friedman to also now claim that we were right there with the Nationals, toe and toe, so the playoff’s are just a crap shoot. Really getting tired of his excuses for NEVER signing anyone.4 million fans means tremendous capital for this FO. Time to put up or shut up..
Kirk, what this means is:
Some teams have what it takes
And the Dodgers just have excuses!
I believe the LA Dodgers have a real good chance of landing a deal with Gerrit Cole because they both have the same interest of unfinished business with the Washington Nationals and to Win it All in 2020.
C’mon man, there is little to no chance for the Dodgers to sign Cole, and I think you know it. Friedman in big deal situations is like the Dodgers in the postseason: choker. The more money the team saves, the more the front office can line their pockets with. They need a morality check because they know that we fans will keep lining their pockets no matter what they do in the offseason. That is why they continue to do relatively nothing.
They need to be called out by the media. They don’t accurately reflect the fans frustration and anger
Paul Dodgers fan 1949, Friedman did a poor job with the Tampa Rays! That’s why the “Rays” got rid of him. He is applying the same technics with the Dodgers. The Dodgers MUST get rid of him as well. Dave Roberts needs to Be FIRED as well. He has made too many MISTAKES. The Dodgers will not win a World Series until they get 3 elite players this coming 2020 season. They need a 3rd. Baseman, a new short stop, a elite pitcher.
What makes the “on the cheap” philosophy embraced by these owners so galling is to hear Magic Johnson boast about how their lucrative TV deal lines their pockets (almost $350 million per year) while 60% of fans are blacked-out from watching them for six straight years. This group doesn’t care about the history/legacy or even a love of the game. They are corporate raiders who are driven solely by greed.
Why are these articles so team friendly all the time? Is it ran and operated by the Dodgers? I read an article the other day where they were ignoring Kershaw’s 9 consecutive postseason chokes and acting like he is still an all time great. Are we really supposed to be happy because we are listed as long shots to get Cole? Just to have a seat at the table in the hopes that he accepts a Friedman style 3 year deal? Even though we all know he won’t? Even with 550 mill in revenue and 75 mill coming off the books? I wish they would call out this ownership for refusing to spend to get that final piece to the puzzle for soooo many years.
If you follow me on twitter or read my stuff you’ll see I’m not team friendly, I’m objective about stuff. This was just a news piece, reporting on where things stand. There will of course come a time to be critical, just try to pick my spots. I do hope they make a splash
As I was watching Greinke shut down the Nats for most of game seven, I was taken back to the alternative universe in which the Dodgers gave him that extra year he wanted and won it all in 2017. Sure, he hasn’t always pitched that well in the post season but other than Buehler no Dodger has either (besides Maeda) over the past three years. Dodgers might as well be 1 million to 1 to sign Cole. They won’t because the contract won’t fit their starting pitcher algorithm. He may not come back to SoCal anyway, remember how most thought that Trout was waiting to go back to Philly or that Kershaw was hankering to return to Texas.
Let’s look at it this way…why would Cole or any other big name player, FA or otherwise want to come to a team that has Roberts as a manager and be part of a lineup of position players who don’t have good splits and are shuffled around position wise as well on an almost daily basis. Great starting pitching wins championships and right now Dodgers are lacking among other things in that area.