Crush City Territory: A Houston Astros Podcast

The Astros are 10 games below .500 and teetering toward a trade deadline sell-off. The deadline may be more than two months away, but Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome still discuss possible trade candidates, the difficulty of determining who will be making those decisions and the two questions owner Jim Crane must answer before putting a plan in place. Before that, Foul Territory's...

Playing without all of Carlos Correa, Yainer Diaz and Jeremy Peña caught up to the Astros, who scored one run in their final 18 innings of a series loss in Cincinnati to fall nine games below. 500. The defending AL West Champion Seattle Mariners come to town on Monday. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome preview the series and discuss what can be done to mask the offense's absen...

A 13-game stretch starts on Friday that could define the Astros' season. Seven of them are against divisional opponents and — at 15-23 — the Astros can't afford to fall further behind. Former Houston outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss how critical the stretch will be, the ways in which the Astros can mitigate Carlos Correa's absence...

Carlos Correa needs season-ending ankle surgery and the Astros' season is officially on the brink. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Correa's injury and how the Astros will proceed without him before delving into Tatsuya Imai's minor-league rehab start, his impending return to the major-league rotation and whether anything can get this 15-23 team back on track. If you like yo...

The Astros won a series at Fenway Park and, for the first time since April 14-15, won consecutive games. Their reward? A showdown with Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the series win against the Red Sox, Bryan Abreu's clutch performance, Brice Matthews' big weekend and how Houston cobbled its pitching together before tu...

The Astros are 12-20 and, now, will face a team that's already changed managers. Could that be beneficial? Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss a series loss in Baltimore, the value of managerial consistency and why managers get blamed more than they should before previewing this weekend's series at Fenway Park between the Red Sox a...

The Astros are 11-19 and trying to stave off a total spiral. Fans are frustrated, curious and have questions. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome answer some of the best ones, including about Dana Brown's job security, Joe Espada's future, Tatsuya Imai's early-season struggles and possible trade talks to improve a roster in need of it. To explore coverage, visit  aspcapetinsurance...

The managerial carousel is already spinning, but Astros GM Dana Brown gave a vote of confidence to embattled manager Joe Espada amid Houston's 11-18 start. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Espada's status and Brown's comments before analyzing the team's series loss against the Yankees — including strong starts from Spencer Arrighetti and Mike Burrows along with a...

It's Aaron Judge against Yordan Alvarez at Daikin Park, perhaps an early preview for the AL MVP race. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss Judge's prowess, Alvarez's awesome start to the season, what could have been if Ben Rice had become an Astro and the Astros' disinterest in recently-signed Lucas Giolito. If you like your money,...

Despite yet another injury, the Astros won a series against the Cleveland Guardians for a much-needed breath of fresh air. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the series win, Yordan Alvarez's MVP start to the season, Bryan Abreu's awkward fit on the roster and how the pitching staff may be starting to stabilize. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Plans start at $15...

The St. Louis Cardinals continued the Houston Astros' calamitous start to the season, sweeping them in three games at Daikin Park to send the Astros to 8-15. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome analyze the biggest problems with the roster, Bryan Abreu's continued implosion, the bad look for general manager Dana Brown on Sunday afternoon and whether any of this is fixable before it is t...

Spencer Arrighetti stepped up for an injury-ravaged Astros rotation and helped the team take two of three from the Colorado Rockies. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss Arrighetti's return to the rotation, the Astros' new home run celebration, Tatsuya Imai's continued assimilation to American life and whether the window is closing...

Tatsuya Imai is struggling to adjust in Major League Baseball and Hunter Brown defended himself against his GM's assertion that he threw too hard in spring training. All in a day's work at Daikin Park. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Imai's viral comments, what the Astros can do to help him and how Dana Brown erred in his public analysis of Hunter Brown before previewing Sp...

The Astros are on a seven-game losing streak and have lost three starting pitchers to injury during this disastrous, 10-game road trip. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the latest blows, including Tatsuya Imai's bout with "arm fatigue," the bullpen's inability to throw strikes, the scarcity of starting pitching and where this injury-ravaged team goes from here.  See omn...

After a sobering sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies — and two more significant injuries sustained during it — the Astros are in need of a bounce back at T-Mobile Park against the defending AL West champion Seattle Mariners. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss how Houston can right the ship, what it may do to sta...

The Astros were swept by the cellar-dwelling Colorado Rockies and suffered three substantial injuries to Cristian Javier, Jake Meyers and Hunter Brown. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss how the Astros will navigate the injuries, who will step up for the injured pitchers and how manager Joe Espada may enhance his lineup to score more runs. Use our code TERRITORY10 for 10% off...

Astros ace and reigning American League Cy Young finalist Hunter Brown is on the injured list with a right shoulder strain — dealing a devastating blow to a rotation without another defined stalwart. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Brown's injury and who must step up in his absence before recapping the Astros' series loss in Sacramento, highlighted by another brutal o...

The Astros start their first road trip of the season with good news: shortstop Jeremy Peña will resume playing back-to-back days. What does that mean for Isaac Paredes? Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the Astros' overcrowded infield, where Paredes fits in to the plans and how Yordan Alvarez playing left field could help to solve the problems. Start your 7-day free tr...

The Astros made an early-season statement by sweeping the Boston Red Sox in three games at Daikin Park. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the performances from Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve; Lance McCullers Jr.'s dominant return to the starting rotation and the new, patient approach Houston's lineup is exhibiting.  Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew...

The Astros walked a franchise-record 28 batters and saw their four starters post a 7.64 ERA ... and somehow salvaged a season-opening split against the Angels. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the inauspicious debuts for Mike Burrows, Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai, some encouraging signs from Houston's lineup and what to think of closer Bryan Abreu's difficult weekend.&nb...

Much of what plagued the 2025 Astros was on display during the 2026 season-opener. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss the Astros' deflating 3-0, Opening Day loss against the Los Angeles Angels. The duo analyzes Houston's disappointing offensive performance, Hunter Brown's uneven afternoon and AJ Blubaugh's eye-opening stint as a reliever. Get 10 free meals and a FREE Zwilling...

Opening Day is here and the 2026 Astros have a lot to prove after missing the playoffs last season. Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discuss Houston's new-look starting rotation, the questions surrounding its lineup and the pressure on both general manager Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada — each of whom is in the last year of his contract. If you like your money, Mint Mobile...

The Astros' Spring Breakout game made national headlines with a crazy walk-off. Farm director Sam Niedorf joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome discusses some of the top participants, including Xavier Neyens, Kevin Alvarez, Walker Janek and James Hicks, before analyzing their next steps in the Astros' farm system. Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew Gold with code FOUL at Blue...

Brice Matthews is making a case to crack the Astros outfield while Bennett Sousa's oblique injury threw more uncertainty into an already undermanned bullpen. Former Astros outfielder Josh Reddick joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss how Houston's bullpen takes shape, whether Matthews has locked himself in to an Opening Day roster spot and the spring training struggles o...

Astros center fielder Jake Meyers, one of baseball's best defenders and a loyal Nebraska Cornhusker, joins Tyler Stafford and The Athletic's Chandler Rome to discuss his offensive breakthrough in 2025, what he hopes to improve upon in 2026, the art of defending in center field, his impressions of Cam Smith and how he handles trade rumors. Start your FOX One 7-day free trial today at  https://...