Red Sox World Series odds fall to +5000 following Chris Sale news

Every serious sports fan knows the name of Dr. James Andrews, the famed orthopedic surgeon whose dire medical pronouncements have the ability to dethrone champions and turn frontrunners into basement dwellers.

The good doctor made headlines again Monday, when he proclaimed injured Red Sox ace Chris Sale will be able to avoid Tommy John surgery to his left elbow. It was one of the few pieces of good news the Red Sox have received this season, as they've struggled to reclaim their championship form from a year ago.

The Red Sox are presently 16 games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East and are saddled with distant +5000 odds to win the 2019 World Series. That's a far cry from the +600 they opened at back in March, when many pundits still expected them to steamroll the competition en route to a second consecutive title.

2019 World Series odds

Sale's health is a huge concern for the Red Sox as the club looks ahead to 2020, but it's far from the only issue that could derail their future World Series aspirations. Here are three other concerns Boston will have to address once the season mercifully comes to a close.

Starting pitching

Looking for just one reason the Red Sox are in third place in the AL East? Look no further than the team's rotation. Boston's starters are posting a 5.04 ERA one year after they topped out at 3.77. Injuries are partially to blame, but several of the club's most celebrated hurlers have also regressed noticeably.

Former Cy Young winner Rick Porcello (11-9, 5.49 ERA) has been hit harder than a piñata, and five-time all-star David Price (7-5, 4.36 ERA) is posting the second-highest WHIP of his 12-year career. Porcello is a free agent at the end of the season and will likely be shown the door, but the 33-year-old Price is still on the books for three years and—gulp—$96 million.

Free agency

Red Sox faithful will be happy to see Porcello leave town (they might even help him pack), but may not be quite so thrilled if J.D. Martinez joins him. The three-time all-star can opt out his contract at the end of the season and may bid adieu to Beantown if he believes he can make more money elsewhere.

Martinez likely won't equal his herculean numbers from a year ago, but he still leads the Red Sox in home runs and is second in batting average and RBIs. Losing him would be a crushing blow.

First base

As bad as Boston's starters have been, the team's first basemen have been even worse. Red Sox first sackers are posting a meager -1.0 Wins Above Average (WAA) rating in 2019. That's the 10th worst mark in the majors, and it's a reflection of the underwhelming performance of Mitch Moreland—who is "hitting" just .243, with 14 home runs and 44 RBIs—and the absence of World Series MVP Steve Pearce, who has appeared in just 29 games after he suffered a partially torn PCL.

Both players are free agents after this season and Boston would be well served by cutting ties and starting fresh.

The Red Sox aren't the only team that will enter the offseason with question marks, but the uncertainty surrounding the club makes them a risky futures bet in 2020 and beyond.

---

Get into the swing of things with BetAmerica's extensive MLB odds, props and futures.