2021 World Series Odds: Cardinals Rise After Nolan Arenado Trade

The addition of Nolan Arenado has put the St. Louis Cardinals among the top contenders for the 2021 World Series title.

St. Louis will reportedly acquire the five-time All-Star third baseman, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, creating a significant boost for a team that went 30-28 last season. According to Robert Duff of Sports Betting Dime, the Cardinals were listed at 40-1 (bet $100 to win $4,000) to win a title but are now 20-1.

Here is the full list of title contenders courtesy of DraftKings:

Los Angeles Dodgers: +450

New York Yankees: +550

San Diego Padres: +800

Chicago White Sox: +950

Atlanta Braves: +1000

New York Mets: +1200

Oakland Athletics: +1800

Houston Astros: +2000

Minnesota Twins: +2000

St. Louis Cardinals: +2000

Tampa Bay Rays: +2000

Cincinnati Reds: +2500

Toronto Blue Jays: +2500

Washington Nationals: +2800

Philadelphia Phillies: +3000

Chicago Cubs: +3300

Cleveland Indians: +3500

Los Angeles Angels: +4000

Milwaukee Brewers: +4500

Boston Red Sox: +5000

Miami Marlins: +5000

Arizona Diamondbacks: +7000

Baltimore Orioles: +7000

San Francisco Giants: +7000

Colorado Rockies: +8000

Seattle Mariners: +8000

Texas Rangers: +8000

Detroit Tigers: +10000

Kansas City Royals: +10000

Pittsburgh Pirates: +10000

It's not surprising to see the Cardinals on the rise after the offseason maneuver.

Arenado has been one of the best two-way players in baseball during his career, earning a Gold Glove Award in all eight of his seasons and four Silver Sluggers. He has only made the playoffs twice but has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting five times.

He joins an experienced roster in St. Louis that already has proven talent both at the plate and on the mound. With the Chicago Cubs spending the offseason trying to clear payroll, the Cardinals are seemingly the clear favorites in the NL Central.

Other teams are rewarded for aggressiveness in the latest odds.

The New York Mets were just 26-34 last season and haven't made the playoffs since 2016 but have the sixth-best odds to win the title thanks to the blockbuster trade to acquire Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco.

With a lineup that already included Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil, the Mets offense is going to be tough to slow down, while Jacob deGrom will anchor a rebuilt rotation.

The San Diego Padres have also made a flurry of moves, including trades for Yu Darvish and Blake Snell to lead their pitching staff. The team already had the third-best record in the majors last season and now appear to be one of the favorites to bring home a title.

Of course, the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers aren't going anywhere and remain the top option in the betting odds to win again in 2021.

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