Steve Cohen promised the New York Mets would be relevant again under his ownership. He delivered in his first major move by acquiring Francisco Lindor.
The Mets acquired both Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for a package built around shortstops Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez and prospects.
Lindor is one of the premier players in all of baseball. Entering his final year of team control before reaching free agency, Cleveland's desire to move his salary was no secret. With few owners willing to spend to win this offseason, Cohen's Mets took advantage.
Sportsbooks quickly adjusted Mets futures as the each piece of the trade leaked. PointsBet moved the Mets from 18-1 to win the World Series down to 12-1. FanDuel was still at 17-1 at time of publish. DraftKings adjusted the Mets down to 14-1 from 18-1 two weeks ago, but this news brought New York to 12-1.
Individual players in baseball don't usually cause a big shift in futures because one player's impact isn't the same as other sports (like a quarterback in football or a star in basketball). But Lindor was listed at 20-1 to win the AL MVP at PointsBet, below just four other players.
Carrasco finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2017 and registered a 2.91 ERA in 68 innings in the shortened 2020 season. He joins a rotation headlined by Jacob deGrom with Marcus Stroman slotting in behind him. The team should see Noah Syndergaard return from Tommy John surgery at some point in the summer.
The Mets probably aren't done, either. They've been considered favorites for outfielder George Springer and have been mentioned with Trevor Bauer. If there's a good player on the market, the Mets have been the team agents want involved.
The Indians' odds dropped from 22-1 to 35-1 at DraftKings.
Find full World Series odds here.
