New World Series odds place Yankees right in the middle

Now that the best free agent on the market has officially found a new home, a new set of World Series odds has been released by Bovada. The Nationals' acquisition of Max Scherzer bumped them up into the top spot, while the Yankees have remained firmly in the middle. Although the odds aren't exactly in their favor, they are better than expected, all things considered.

Nationals 6/1
Dodgers 8/1
Red Sox 12/1
Cubs 12/1
Angels 12/1
Cardinals 12/1
Tigers 14/1
Mariners 16/1
Giants 18/1
Blue Jays 18/1
Orioles 20/1
White Sox 20/1
Royals 25/1
Yankees 25/1
Padres 25/1
Indians 28/1
Braves 33/1
Marlins 33/1
Mets 33/1
Pirates 33/1
Athletics 40/1
Rangers 40/1
Reds 50/1
Brewers 50/1
Astros 66/1
Rays 66/1
Diamondbacks 100/1
Rockies 100/1
Twins 100/1
Phillies 100/1

Judging from these odds, the Yankees are not expected to fare well in the AL East this year. Interestingly, the Yankees odds have gotten worse as the offseason has progressed. Back on October 30th, the Yankees odds were 22/1. They have remained at 25/1 since December 15th. The important thing to remember is that these don't necessarily take team performance into account, since it's really just about whether people would bet money on the team to win it all. The teams that have signed the flashiest free agents tend to bounce up to the top, like the Red Sox after signing Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, and now the Nationals after signing Scherzer. Apparently the Cubs signing Jon Lester had a similar impact because those odds seem way higher than they should be. It also feels insulting to have the same odds as the Padres.

It makes sense that the Yankees are only in the middle of the pack because they have steered clear of most of the top free agents. They snagged one of the best relievers available when they signed Andrew Miller, otherwise this season has featured a whole lot of trades. Realistically, their odds should probably be worse if you take into account the lack of offense and the questionable health of the rotation. Unless the Yankees plan to make a move for James Shields, or pull off some kind of huge trade featuring Jordan Zimmermann or Stephen Strasburg (yes, please), it looks like their World Series odds will remain 25/1 going into spring training.

Do you agree with the Yankees' current World Series odds? Do you think the Nationals are going to win it all now that they have Max Scherzer? Which odds do you think are way off?