00:00If we look at the American League numbers, and you and I were just talking in the break,
00:05and I'm saying, is it even possible, and I think it is, it's very possible,
00:09that we are going to have a team in the American League lock up that third wildcard spot
00:16and not have a winning record.
00:20And I mean, Houston right now, who by tiebreaker,
00:24is currently leading the American League West to 65 and 66.
00:30We could have a team with two games under .500, Tom, that ends up winning a postseason berth,
00:37which is just gross on so many levels, is it not?
00:41It really is, and Houston's going through it right now.
00:45Not only on the field, I got off the field stuff, the GM, we're not sure if the GM's gone,
00:50we're not sure if the managers can be back, there's a lot going on for Houston.
00:53But to see a team in the AL, or multiple teams in the AL, make the postseason with a sub
01:00-500 record
01:01is actually really viable this year.
01:03It could not only come from the AL West, but it also could come from the wildcard spot.
01:07And we're talking about to make the playoffs.
01:09The odds for that are really, really interesting.
01:11And the one team I keep coming back to in the AL to make the playoffs,
01:15especially at these odds, would be the Rangers at plus 142.
01:20They have a chance to make it in two directions, really.
01:23It's either they could just outright win the AL West because Houston's not great right now,
01:27and then we have a chance to get them into the wildcard.
01:31And they could easily win that because we're not sold on the Guardians, we're not sold on the Twins.
01:35Now, granted, you could also say the same thing about the Astros since they're at plus money,
01:39but a plus 104 price is pretty different than plus 142.
01:42And frankly, with the way the Astros are playing, I'm not really sold on them.
01:46Now, granted, Joe, if they, you know, three weeks from now, if they rattle off seven straight wins,
01:50the Astros is, they can lock up the division before you know it.
01:53But I'll take the plus 142 with the Rangers.
01:58Yeah, and I hate them all because I just think it's terrible baseball,
02:02but somebody has got to end up making it.
02:04And some of those odds there, the team that was the most active at the trade deadline was the Guardians.
02:10Can you have any idea on what happened to them?
02:14I mean, I look at this roster, I look at the lineup, I look at the pitching, and I'm going,
02:18they, in a mediocre year, how are the Guardians not running away right now is head scratching to me.
02:26It is.
02:27I think they, you know, they're, what is it, they rattle off four straight wins.
02:31They're tied for the American League third wildcard spot.
02:34They're only three and a half back of the AL Central.
02:38I think most people would agree that, you know, the White Tacks have put together a great season.
02:43It's obviously far higher than what most people would have anticipated.
02:46But, you know, it's not like they're running away with it.
02:50And the Guardians have certainly shown, as we saw last year coming back from 10 down against the Tigers to
02:55win the division.
02:56You know, the Guardians at least have kind of been here before.
02:58And I think they were, or are in the spot because they got a little bit behind the eight ball
03:02to start the season.
03:03So they're kind of clawing their way back.
03:05But that top of the rotation, I think, is awesome.
03:08And I'm just always worried about their offense.
03:10It's never their pitching I'm worried about.
03:14Yeah.
03:14I, you know, the bullpen has been hot or cold.
03:17Kate Smith is great.
03:18But, man, that offense is, you got to be able to, you got to put better efforts together on a
03:26nightly basis.
03:27But, Alyssa, I still think they have, at that price, to make the playoffs at plus money, I still think
03:33they have as good a shot as anybody else on that list here.
03:38By the way, we learned, of course, Yankees put Weathers on the IL.
03:44Another injury going on here.
03:47I mean, it was nice that they got Rodon back.
03:50But what are they doing now here?
03:53What happens to the Yankees rotation now here, Tom?
03:56So, I think the Weathers thing is, like, he has dealt with a ton of injuries.
04:00The volume of innings that he's pitched this year is very, very high.
04:04You know, all the reports about Freed and what Aaron Boone has said about Freed, if you want to take
04:08a green stall, it's like, it's just precautionary.
04:10They want to ease off of him.
04:11They want him ready for the postseason, like all these verbiage or, you know, alluding to these things.
04:16I think the Freed thing is fine.
04:18And really, for the rotation overall, because Rodon came back, you still have Garrett Cole, Rodon.
04:25You know, you still have Will Warren in there.
04:27And then, frankly, I think it's just going to be bullpen and or, you know, they have to do it
04:31by committee.
04:32When Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn, those have been starters in the past for previous teams.
04:37Like, they can beat innings.
04:38Those guys can go out there and give you three, maybe four innings.
04:40And he brings someone else in.
04:41And so, ultimately, I think the rotation will be fine.
04:45If Freed comes back in late September, it gives you a start.
04:48Going into the postseason with Schlittler, Cole, Rodon, and Freed is pretty darn good.
04:53And I think they'll be set with that.
