Ken Rosenthal's Inside Scoop on Guardians playoff push & Chandler Rome talks Astros pedigree

00:00:02
Speaker 1: And there he is.

00:00:02
Speaker 2: Chandler Rome joining us here on Foul Territory, of course, is the Astros beat writer does a tremendous job writing for The Athletic. You can also see him on Crushed Towards Territory right here on the Foul Territory network covering the Astros. I tell you what, what a time to be alive, Chandler Hi, I mean, every day it's like they're in first place. They're not in first place. They're in first place, they're not in first place. They're making the postseason. They're not going to make it. What's it been like for you the last couple of weeks.

00:00:27
Speaker 3: It's been different because in this Golden era, everything's basically been sewn up by now. This is usually the time when the Astros are taking their foot off the gas. There they can line up their rotation how they want to for either you know, the Alds or the wild card, and it's just not the case this year it's been. It's been more difficult. They're learning how the other half live, if you will, because you know, the thing I've said this whole run that they've been on is they've kind of just made it look easy. They've kind of just they've rolled the balls out and have won ninety five to one hundred games every year, and they've made it look pretty simple. Baseball is not near as easy as they've made it look for the last eight years in Houston. So they've battled a ton of injuries. They're battling even more right now with Jordan Alvarez spraining his ankle a couple of days ago. But you have to give them a ton of credit for their resiliency, for their ability to overcome all of this same any they had as many as eighteen players on the injured list earlier this season. The ability to overcome that, the ability to just kind of keep persevering through it, it's a credit to Joe Aspada and his coaching staff, and it's a credit to the culture inside the clubhouse that they've been willing to that they've been able to kind of absorb all these body blows and come out on top.

00:01:44
Speaker 1: Should they have to have been absorbing all these should they have brought Alex Weregman back, Because if you have, if you still have Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker, you're not not saying that they wouldn't get injured. Gregman and Tucker have both been on the ile. Tucker's on the isle right now. But this ownership, are they choosing to not spend the money that they've made over this what did you say, the golden era or the golden time period since twenty fifteen? Or is this how they have to live because for some reason they don't have any money From all of these postseason runs and sold out, sold out dik In.

00:02:22
Speaker 3: Parks, they got plenty of money. If Jim Crane would allow me to see the books, I'd love to see him. But in absence of seeing the books, I can't really comment on whether they're allowed to spend it anything like that. The one thing I will push back on a little bit, and this is a common thing that I think gets misconstrued a little bit. The notion that the Astros don't spend money is misguided. They're over the luxury tax this season for a second consecutive year. The last two years they have run the two highest payrolls in franchise history, top five or six payrolls in the sport. They do spend money. Whether they're spending it wisely is another story. You know, they still have Jose abray you on the books this season. They've got a little bit of Rafael Montero's contracts still on the books this season. They've had some other contract extensions that have not aged very well. And the one thing that Jim Crane has been steadfasted in his ownership tenure is that he just he does not believe in the long term deals. The longest contract he's ever given a free agent is five years. The most he's ever guaranteed a free agent is ninety five million dollars to Josh Hater. The largest contract he's given in his ownership tenure is a six year, one hundred and fifty one million dollar extension to Jose Altuve. So can't you can't look at it and say it hasn't worked. I mean, obviously they're doing something right in the way that they've they've they've manufactured this run that they're on, But it is a valid question to think, like how much longer can they keep that mindset?

00:03:57
Speaker 1: You know?

00:03:58
Speaker 3: It was it was interesting to hear and a Brown talk about when they reacquired Carlos Korea at the deadline. One of the reasons they did it is because they thought they had a leadership void in the clubhouse. They thought that they had that voice that was kind of missing. Alex Bregman was that guy last year, and they made what they considered to be a competitive offer to get him back, and then when it came down to it, the Tigers had a longer and more lucrative offer, and then the Red Sox had a higher aav offer. So at the end of the day, the Ashers had the third best offer into him. Should they have brought them back. I mean, you know, they didn't need to trade Kyle Tucker. They just understood that they weren't going to pay him and they just wanted to see what the prospects they could get in return. Now that trade has worked out very well. Cam Smith obviously has kind of fallen off a little bit lately, but has been excellent for them. Looks like the right fielder of the future East sac Paratus, who they could get back pretty soon, was arguably their best hitter and most valuable player before he trained as Hamstring and then Hayden was Nesci will provide rotation depth for them going forward. So you know, it's pretty clear that they were missing something in the clubhouse that Bregman had, and it's part of why they went and got Korea. But when you look at their moves as a whole, like it really kind of did work out for them the way they wanted to, just in a vacuum for this season.

00:05:21
Speaker 2: It's crazy, though, Chandler, because whatever they're doing, it seems like they don't miss a beat. They don't have Bregman, that's fine. They just put Korea at third. I mean, when Karrea left, they you know, Jeremy Penyaz stepped up in that spot. Altuve is always going to be Altuve, whether he's at second base or in the outfield, and he's kind of glue that keeps that team together. You're right, Jim Crane doesn't spend a ton of money in terms of like really long term deals, but this is a team that's always in the conversation. I mean, do we take for granted the longevity of success that this particular club has had. We talked about it earlier on in the show here with Aj and Eric that I think people took for granted that unbelievable run that the Atlanta Braves had. Should fans understand what they're witnessing over the course of this last decade with the ASTROSA.

00:06:11
Speaker 3: Like, I think the word spoiled comes to mind a little bit just in terms of how fans maybe in Houston view the team. You know, it was hilarious in like June or July, they're like three games up in the division and everyone's like, you got to trade Fromberveldees to the deadline, you got to get prospects because we don't think this team can win a World Series. And I'm like, guys, like, there's many different ways to do this. Like the way that the Astros have done it for so long was like I just mentioned, win one hundred games, get the first round by get the Alds, and then just kind of coast until the Alcs or the World Series. Like that's not normal, and you've got to give yourself a shot every year to get in. And that's how most modern front offices think. Right, if you get into the playoffs, anything can happen. And I know that the Astros will will take their core of guys, especially with Correa back in the fold. They will take this Cora guys in a playoff situation because there isn't going to be anyone in this postseason field that has more clutch moments and more postseason experience than Jose Al Tuve than Carlos Korea. Jeremy Pania was the World Series MVP in twenty twenty two. You know, Christian Xavier, who pitched last night, has pitched in some huge games, including a no hitter in the World Series. Like, if they get in, and it seems very very likely that they are after this sweep of the Rangers, Like they're the team that you kind of look at it and I'm not sure anyone wants to face them because you can't ignore the pedigree that they have in the postseason. You can't ignore their ability to rise up and clutch moments. It just seems like it's inevitable. The Astros have for a while seem like they are inevitable. Are they the same super team that they were in twenty eighteen and twenty nineteen, No, they're not. Like the talent drain is pretty apparent, and you know, age and father time comes for everyone, so you know, this is not the team that's gonna win one hundred and five games. You know, basically going through the motions, they've had to fight, scrap and claw for everything. Nothing has come easy. For them this year. And it's a real credit to the culture that they have built in that clubhouse that they've been able to withstand it all. And you know, now find themselves as of talking now, half a game up in the American League West.

00:08:30
Speaker 1: All right, two part question, and you can't get mad at me like Joe a. Spota got mad when he was asked about Jordan's health. But is Jordan going to be done for the season? And you had mentioned it before ESAP parades coming back. You can't have two DH's the last time I checked, and both of them in the lineup mandates that one of them has to play the field, if you're if you answer the first question as yes, he will be at.

00:09:01
Speaker 3: You know, I find it difficult to believe that Jordan and Alvarez will play again in this regular season, just given the calendar. Right, they have nine games left, They have twelve days of the regular season left. Last we heard and checked, he was still in a walking boot. They were talking about the swelling still needed to go down for them to really get their hands around what they have here. Joe a Spotta, like you said, didn't want to give many specifics as to what's going on, but he's going to be out for a while.

00:09:31
Speaker 1: That was Joe A.

00:09:32
Speaker 3: Spotta's direct quote. I will say this, the fact that they have not put him on the injured list yet, maybe that's just some gamesmanship. Maybe they just want to keep you know, the Mariners in the a'es and the Angels who they played the last three series of the year. Maybe they just want to keep them guessing that maybe he could contribute. But the fact that he's not on the injured list would at least at least leaves open the logical possibility that he could be that he could return to the lineup. Do I I think that happens.

00:10:01
Speaker 4: I do not.

00:10:02
Speaker 3: I mean, you guys saw the replay. You guys saw the pictures. It looked nasty, it looked really really bad. And Jordon has not been made available to talk to us, so we don't really know from his point of view, like how his pain tolerance is, whether he thinks he can come back. So we're just kind of going blind here. We're going by kind of what we've seen, and to me, it would suggest that I find it hard to believe he'd be back for the regular season. However, I do think Esak Paradis will be back in short order.

00:10:32
Speaker 1: Joe A.

00:10:32
Speaker 3: Spotty yesterday said on yesterday on Wednesday said that they were going to use the next day or two to determine whether Paradus is ready to be activated, perhaps as early as this weekend against the Mariners. I think he will play again this regular season, and I think he will be available to them. I don't know if it will be this weekend. I think that has been their target all along. Whether that happens, I'm unsure, But like you said, Eric, he's going to have to come back, and he's going to have to dage because Joe A. Spota even said yesterday, if and when Paradis does return, I am telling him, don't run one hundred percent on the base path, Like have a governor on yourself, Like make sure you're smart and you're prudent here. I don't think he's in a position yet where he could realistically play defense at any position. They need his bat in the lineup, they need his ability to see pitches, to work deep at bats, to you know, provide some patience in a lineup that has been way, way aggressive all season. It'll be fascinating to see how they how they maneuver it around, but for now they have an open DH spot because Jordan Alvarez is unavailable to play. It would seem very logical to just slide Estock Paradus into that DH spot and then you know, Joe can manufacture late in the game if he gets on with a single and he represents the tying run or the go ahead run, he can always pinch run for him. But I would expect Estock Paradis to to certainly be somewhat of a factor in these in the final nine games of this season.

00:12:04
Speaker 2: Death Taxes and the Houston Astros. In the postseason conversation, Chandler Rome, we appreciate your insight. Thanks very much.

00:12:11
Speaker 3: Have a good day, all right, Thanks guys, it is.

00:12:20
Speaker 2: Signed now for the inside scoop. We are jam packed with guests today. Welcoming in the birthday boy, Ken Rosenthal. Happy birthday to our friend and to our colleague with you. Thanks for being with us on your birthday. Nobody works harder in the game than Ken Rosenthal. Kenny, does Cleveland really have a shot at the American League Wildcard?

00:12:43
Speaker 5: It's an uphill fight, obviously, there's precious few games remaining, but that's why we play them. We play it out and see what happens, and stranger things have happened. I'm just so impressed by what they've done overall. They've had a roller coaster season beyond even what most teams, the most contenders.

00:13:00
Speaker 4: Have experienced, and here they are.

00:13:02
Speaker 5: They're hot again and sweeping the Tigers put them in this positions, so I don't rule out anything, but you look at the standings there, it's one and a half games. The Red Sox are not exactly tearing it up and more important from the Guardian's perspective, obviously the playoffs is the most important, but to me, ten games over five hundred, that's impressive for this team. This is not an offensive juggernaut by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, one of the people close to the Guardians told me this week, I've never seen a worse offensive team for a contender, So good for them hanging in there. Their starting pitching has been tremendous in September, and do I see it happening. Not necessarily, but one and a half games is not insurmountable either.

00:13:46
Speaker 1: At this time of year, we usually should be talking about the fact that well what if they expand the playoffs? The Guardians are easily in. Should the Guardians be in? You said about how in at their offense is when you watch them on a day to day basis. Should Major League Baseball have a team like the Guardians in the playoffs?

00:14:06
Speaker 5: I would say Eric that they're more qualified than the three National League pursuers of the Mets, the Diamondbacks, the Reds, and the Giants. Those teams are all around five hundred. And the fact that they're still in it. I wrote about that this week that to me is much more offensive than the Guardians. They're gonna get to eighty four eighty five wins, I would think at minimum eighty four has been the lowest in the three years of this system.

00:14:27
Speaker 4: That's the lowest for a qualifier.

00:14:29
Speaker 5: Twenty twenty three, Diamondbacks and Marlins both had eighty four. I'm not offended by an eighty four win playoff team.

00:14:37
Speaker 4: I'd be offended by.

00:14:38
Speaker 5: One that was lower than that, and it could happen in the National League. You see the numbers right there. The Mets are just five over with a three hundred and forty million dollars payroll, and then the Diamondbacks Reds and Giants are all within one game of five.

00:14:51
Speaker 4: Hundred or one over. I mean that to me.

00:14:55
Speaker 5: Is much more embarrassing than the Guardians, who, for all their offensive shortcomings, are still a team that is winning games without Luis Ortiz, without Emmanuel Classe, both of them under investigation for gambling. So while they might not look like a playoff team, if they steal it from the Red Sox, good for them, and then they would have deserved.

00:15:17
Speaker 2: It, and without Shane Bieber who was traded obviously, ken is Steven Vote doing a better job perhaps this year with the changes and what he's dealing with than the year in which he won Manager of the Year.

00:15:30
Speaker 5: Tart to compare Alanta. Every season is so different, but this is a really good job. And to expand the conversation a little bit, American League Manager of the Year is fascinating to me.

00:15:40
Speaker 4: Joe A.

00:15:40
Speaker 5: Spottis should be the front runner for all that the Astros have dealt with this season. But you can make a case for John Schneider, You can make a case for Alex Korra if.

00:15:48
Speaker 4: They get there.

00:15:49
Speaker 5: You certainly can make a case for Steven Vote as well. Maybe even Dan Wilson in Seattle. So Vote obviously has done a tremendous job just keeping that team float when at one point it looked like they were just cooked.

00:16:03
Speaker 4: They were thirteen and a half out in July, right, So.

00:16:07
Speaker 5: Props to him, Props to the entire organization because they do this year after year, and we see this with Milwaukee, we see it to an extent with Tampa Bay.

00:16:15
Speaker 4: And I will say it again, yes.

00:16:17
Speaker 5: Low revenue teams like those three that I just named operate at a distinct disadvantage. However, it does not preclude them from fielding competitive teams, and that's what these franchises seem to do year after year.

00:16:33
Speaker 6: He gave a little Joe Spota shout out there. So let's talk a little bit about the Astros and Es sac Pretta is coming back today in Europe. I mean, you probably know a little bit more about this. Is this a he's one hundred percent and we're ready to bring him back situation? Or is this a eighty percent of Es sac Predas is better than the replacement and we're in a race here kind of situation and.

00:16:55
Speaker 5: Use ladder without knowing for sure, I can't imagine he's fully when he had the injury. If you call they said he might be back, he might not. It's not looking great and I am sure he can't run at full strength. That's never been in the strength of his game anyway. But he is much needed right now because of the Jordone Alvarez situation, and he likely is out it for at least the regular season with the ankle injury that he has, so Paraders can dh he steps in nicely in that role. He actually has no other position on the team since the trade for Carlos Korea, so I'm not sure where he is physically. I'd be shocked if he was totally there. I'm sure he would need more time in a perfect world. It's not a perfect world right now.

00:17:42
Speaker 1: Can you talk about the teams that are looking for gms and how that searches and how that really how does it really impact the teams currently now when they're trying to find a new GM and in the future, how much a current day GM impacts teams.

00:17:59
Speaker 4: Eric, you've played for teams.

00:18:01
Speaker 5: I'm sure, as has Trevor, that it made a change at GM, even a change a manager. And I don't know that players are necessarily impacted in the moment or in that particular season.

00:18:12
Speaker 4: They just keep doing their thing.

00:18:13
Speaker 5: And obviously a change of manager can have an effect on a clubhouse. We do know that a change in a GM, I'm not so sure that really has a tremendous reach into the clubhouse. I don't think it does. Now, how impactful can a GM be? Well, there's a reason why Andrew Friedman gets paid the money he does, and other gms get big dollars as well, because they have a huge impact and they can change an entire organization one way or the other. So, yes, that impact is great and we've seen that time and again. We'll see in this next hiring cycle who gets hired and how this all shakes out. But the Washington situation is certainly interesting. They could hire a president of Baseball Operations and a GM. I'm not sure that's the way they're going to go. It's under consideration. The Red Sox and Orioles are looking for gms under presidents of Baseball operations. And then you have teams like the Pirates and the Rockies that also could make changes. And I wouldn't be surprised if there are other teams as well.

00:19:14
Speaker 4: Where we hear things that might happen.

00:19:16
Speaker 5: We know the Cardinals are going to have a change, but that's already been predetermined. Heim Bloom taking over for John miss aylock.

00:19:25
Speaker 2: Ken, I want to ask you this really quick. Obviously a lot of news going on with Clayton Kershaw announcing his retirement. We've had several guests on the show today discussing it. I understand you have a good curse story. I'm sure you know, like many of us who have covered him his entire career, there's a lot to choose from.

00:19:45
Speaker 5: I have two, and it relates to covering him, not from watching him pitch or anything like that. And the first it's twenty thirteen when he was negotiating the big extension he signed with the Dodgers. It turned out to be seven years, two hundred and fifteen million. That was signed in January of twenty fourteen. But I found out that they were talking and I found out that it was about two hundred and ten million. It was in August of that season.

00:20:09
Speaker 4: I believe.

00:20:10
Speaker 5: And I remember Clayton Kerstar at that time was a young man. He was twenty five years old. He wasn't this presence that he is now. And I saw him in the clubhouse and I said, hey, can we go out to the dugout and you need to ask you something. And I asked him if it was accurate that they were talking about this kind of deal, and he said, your sources are sick man.

00:20:30
Speaker 4: Well that was confirmation and I went with it. So I didn't name him as a source. But like when he said that, of course I was good.

00:20:38
Speaker 5: And then twenty seventeen NLCS against the Cubs. I don't remember what was going on with him physically at the time, but there was something going on with him, and I wanted to talk to him because maybe he was pitching the next day and he was running off the field and I said Clayton, and he blew right past me, and I was like, okay, he doesn't want to talk today. I don't ever take a fence at that I didn't know what was out and then he pitched. I believe, I don't want to say anything wrong. He pitched the next night. I think he pitched well, or two nights, whatever it was, and I saw him after the game or maybe the next day, and he said, you know why, I blew you off right, And.

00:21:15
Speaker 4: I was not even aware that he knew he had blown me off.

00:21:18
Speaker 5: He was just kind of walking in and he definitely saw me and heard me, and he said, I didn't want to talk about what was going on because he was dealing with the physical things that.

00:21:27
Speaker 4: He had dealt with throughout throughout his career.

00:21:30
Speaker 5: Just in turn, it alluded to this in the previous segment. This guy pitched in circumstances, pitched with things physically that a lot of us didn't know about, and a lot of it was unfair, the playoff stuff. He was asked to do too much, and the numbers reflect that, and the performance reflects that. It's not excusing anything, and he wouldn't excuse anything, but they asked too much of him, often the short rest and all kinds of other things as well.

00:21:56
Speaker 1: I can this is your birthday, but you have to give us a gift before we give you a gift. Okay, can you put the Mount Chavez ravine of play of Dodger players. I can't say Mount Rushmore because it's tired. Mount Chavez Ravine of Dodgers players. And where on that list is Clayton kershaw.

00:22:20
Speaker 4: Well Jackie's on there? Of course?

00:22:23
Speaker 5: I would say Roy Campanella is on there, Kershaw, I would think, is on there?

00:22:30
Speaker 4: I have to look at this. Eric. You put me on the spot, which is fine.

00:22:33
Speaker 5: I don't have a full picture in my head right all time.

00:22:38
Speaker 4: Todger, Greats, what's that?

00:22:39
Speaker 2: Alana, Sandy Cofax?

00:22:42
Speaker 4: Sandy?

00:22:42
Speaker 5: Of course I was thinking Carl Iriskin too, but yeah, Sandy, Kershaw, Jackie and Campanella. I'm sure I'm missing someone. You can maybe say Steve Garvey, you can maybe say some others as well, and Dodger fans can start screaming at me right now, but that's when me that comes to mind.

00:23:03
Speaker 2: All right now, it is time for us to give you a gift, Ken Rosenthal, somebody wanted to say happy birthday to you. I mean, and really, I mean this is special because growing up we have birthday party at McDonald's. You would have grimace at your birthday party, right, I mean, that's exactly what you want. But in all seriousness, some of our fans wanted to say stuff as well. At referee five eighty three with the super chat. Ken is the gold standard in baseball media, decades of class, credibility and respect. Nothing but support here, Happy birthday at FT. Let him know absolutely Ken, you are the gold standard of this great game that we cover. We appreciate you very much. Happy birthday, no other way. I'm sure than you would like to spend it than working. It's what you do best.

00:23:47
Speaker 5: No, I wouldn't say that a lot, but it will be a happy birthday.

00:23:50
Speaker 4: Thanks a lot, and thanks to that person for saying that. That was really nice.

00:23:55
Speaker 2: Yeah that was at referee five eighty three. All right, Ken, thanks so much for the insights. Scoop will see you soon.

00:24:01
Speaker 4: Thanks guys,