The New York Yankees have 13-2 futures odds to win the World Series, which puts them third on the board behind the favored Houston Astros (13-4) and two-time defending National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers (7-2).

That’s the same situation as a month ago, which makes some sense because the standings are the same as they were a month ago – three clearly elite teams all leading their divisions – except that the Yankees have gone out and changed the calculus.

The Bronx Bombers’ trade for Edwin Encarnacion on Saturday night was a masterstroke, adding the American League leader in home runs to a lineup that already features Gary Sanchez with 20 dingers, Luke Voit with 17, and Gleyber Torres with 15, plus Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge about to return from the injured list.

The Yankees can bash their way past anyone, have a dominant bullpen built for October, and still have six weeks before the trade deadline to address their one weakness: a starting rotation that… ranks ninth in Major League Baseball in earned run average after Masahiro Tanaka’s two-hit shutout of the second-place Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Yanks Should Address Starting Pitching Next

While lots of other teams would gladly take the Yankees’ starting options instead of their own, it does make sense that New York would like to add another arm, not only to hold off the Rays and Boston Red Sox, but to change the dynamic of a playoff series.

Tanaka and J.A. Happ are prone to giving up home runs, James Paxton has been inconsistent and had some health issues during his first season in pinstripes, it’s hard to know what to expect from Domingo German and Luis Severino when and if they return from the IL, and CC Sabathia has a 6.97 ERA over his last four outings, including losses against contenders Boston and Cleveland.

But the Yankees, having already shown off their depth to survive a wave of injuries and rise to the top of the American League East as the season nears the halfway point, have the trade chips to acquire a top starter and the financial ability to add salary without reaching the second luxury tax level.

Overpaying because every selling team knows the Yankees’ need is a concern, but it’s still difficult to imagine New York going into the playoffs without an upgrade in the rotation.

Once the Yankees’ lineup is whole and they get the arm that figures to be the last piece of the puzzle, their odds will drop. That they haven’t yet, especially after the Encarnacion trade, is puzzling, but it’s not a bettor’s job to ponder why: it’s to strike when the odds are favorable.

They are now, and it’s time for MLB betting fans to wager on the Yankees to win the 2019 World Series.