In Las Vegas, there are odds for almost anything to bet on. Whether you’re a bettor or not, Bovada’s take on respective teams’ odds of signing Japanese free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka presents a reasonable answer to the question, “What are the White Sox’ chances of signing him?”
Bovada says the odds are 18 to 1 against. In other words, if you bet $100 that the Sox will sign him, you’d get a return of $1,800. The Sox and Blue Jays are the longest shots among teams on the board.
Oh well. At least they’re one of the 10 teams on the board.
The favorite? The Yankees, at 3/2.
Here are the odds, which Bovada publicized on Thursday:
New York Yankees 3/2
Los Angeles Dodgers 11/4
Seattle Mariners 5/1
Cubs 7/1
Boston Red Sox 10/1
Arizona Diamondbacks 12/1
Texas Rangers 15/1
Los Angeles Angels 15/1
Toronto Blue Jays 18/1
White Sox 18/1
Tanaka, 25, must be signed by Jan. 24. Bovada also lists odds on whether he signs with an MLB team before the deadline. It’s 4/7 he will and 5/4 he won’t.