While most of the online wagering world has been focused on the free agent market in the NBA of late, little has been made of player swaps in another major sporting league. The MLB free agent trade deadline is fast approaching yet few people have paid much mind to this development as few trades have been orchestrated so far in 2010.
But with the deadline less than a week away and the division races heating up online wagering companies’ experts are expecting the trade action to get hot and heavy in the next few days.
Generally, when it comes to the MLB online wagering trading action, not much happens until just before the deadline as teams with players available to trade want to wait until the very last moment to part with talent and giving up on their season. They also want to hold out for as much return as possible in the trade and the longer they wait the more desperate possible trade partners become.
This year we’ve seen two big moves so far in the MLB online wagering. Both of them involve starting pitching. The Seattle Mariners, the most disappointing baseball team in the online wagering companies’ betting lines, traded off starting pitcher Cliff Lee to AL West rival, and division leading, Texas Rangers.
With the acquisition of Lee the balance of power in the AL West -if it hadn’t already happened- definitely shifted in favor the Rangers at the expense of the long dominant LA Angels. But that move prompted the Angels to test the trade market themselves and recently trade for Arizona Starter Dan Harren.
Harren, an all star, has been one of the best pitchers in the NL over the past few years and likely will be able to have a major impact on the Angles rotation. The 2010 online wagering season hasn’t been Harren’s finest (7-8, 4.6 ERA) but he’s been playing on one of the worst teams in the league and had little run support. While his ERA is up (career 3.71 ERA) and his win total is down (30 wins over past two seasons) his strikeout and IP totals are impressive (141 Ks in 141 innings). He’s been averaging 7 innings a start this year and by eating up innings should greatly help the Angles bullpen.
These have been the two biggest moves so far but expect a handful of blockbuster trades before the MLB online wager action reaches the trade deadline on July 31st.