The qualifying offer system is broken, and Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel are the latest to bring attention to it. Kimbrel and Keuchel both turned down their qualifying offer in search of a longer contract deal, neither pricing themselves in a range that teams would be willing to bite, and give up that draft pick.
Craig Kimbrel has agreed to a three-year deal with a payout of $43 million with the Cubs. Dallas Keuchel went with the Braves and signed a one-year deal worth $13 million. Kimbrel has 333 career saves under his belt, making him one of the greatest closers in baseball history. Upon his addition to the team, the Cubs’ odds to win the World Series improved slightly but not enough to be considered top contenders for the World Series (yet).
The Braves’ World Series odds have yet to be updated by sports books. Either Keuchel’s addition to the team has not caused any big jump or they’re just a little late.
On the other hand, the two team’s pennant odds are much better than their World Series. Majority of sportsbooks will have the Cubs and Braves in the top five spots to win the pennant but not the World Series. It’ll take more than signing the two players to get into the top five.
If you do plan on making a bet, look thoroughly to find out which sites are up to date on odds as well as paying out to their customers. The last thing you want is a long payout time. Certain times throughout the year, it’ll take a bit more time than usual for players to withdraw their money and that depends on various things. For example, GTbets experienced a bit of a slow payout period last fall but is reported to have made a recovery and are now back on track. Don’t worry, as of right now, their payouts are still on time. You can even look at their average time for the past few months. If payout time is a concerning factor, make sure to do your research before you try your luck on the next game.
Keep a close eye on Kimbrel and Keuchel. With some practice and a healthy body, they might just be what the two teams need in order to win.
