Author
![Christopher Boan Christopher Boan](https://kaxmedia.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=webp/https://objects.kaxmedia.com/auto/o/115408/1d3a20531f.png)
Christopher Boan writes for BetMaryland.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.2021-08-02
Younger players still under team control are more valuable than ever in today’s MLB, which is one of the reasons why franchises are willing to part with prized prospects to land such deals.
In the Charm City, former top prospects like first baseman Ryan Mountcastle are now mired in a franchise-wide logjam of top-tier talent that doesn’t have a place to play every day, which might spur GM Mike Elias to make a deal prior to the league’s July 30 trade deadline across Maryland sports betting.
This season, Mountcastle and his one-year, $4.1 million contract have posted solid numbers across the board, with a .267 average, .744 OPS and 114 OPS+, to go with a 1.8 WAR total for the AL East-leading Orioles this year.
With the Orioles World Series odds just ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East with about 60 games to play, it might be time for Elias to consider throwing in young hitters like Mountcastle to land a starting pitcher that could push Baltimore to their first title since 1983 this fall.
Right now, Mountcastle and the O’s have the fourth best World Series odds on DraftKings Sportsbook Maryland, at +750, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (+330), Philadelphia Phillies (+500) and Yankees (+600).
We’re almost at the MLB trade deadline, and teams are preparing to make their final roster adjustments. Whether the Orioles are willing to trade Mountcastle remains to be seen, though BetMaryland.com developed odds to see if and where Mountcastle might be traded to.
Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
Seattle Mariners | +250 | 28.6% |
Houston Astros | +450 | 18.2% |
Stays w/Baltimore Orioles | +550 | 15.4% |
Pittsburgh Pirates | +1450 | 6.5% |
The Field | +220 | 31.3% |
Odds provided by BetMaryland and not available on Maryland betting apps.
Right now, the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros are the top contenders to land Mountcastle prior to next week’s trade deadline, with the former listed at +250 and the latter at +450.
The odds that Mountcastle stays in Baltimore are still pretty solid, coming in at +550, while the last team mentioned is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are longshots at +1450 as they look to erase a short deficit in the NL Wild Card race.
Whichever team lands Mountcastle will get a player that’s posted an OPS+ of 110 or higher in each of the last two seasons and that has two more years of team control prior to hitting the UFA market in 2027.
Whether that’s enough to get a rebuilding club to send the O’s what they need most (starting pitching depth) remains to be seen, though you can count on the fact that Elias will be working the phones relentlessly ahead of the league’s July 30 deadline.
Stick with BetMaryland ahead of the MLB trade deadline and for Maryland sports betting promos.
USA Today photo by Kevin Jairaj.
Author
Christopher Boan writes for BetMaryland.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.2021-08-02
Cited by leading media organizations, such as: