Fair Territory with Ken Rosenthal

Ken Rosenthal sizes up "The Boras Four" (Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger & Matt Chapman) with the teams that are lurking. (0:13) (6:29) Ken also breaks down the Giants-Mariners trade for both sides. Robbie Ray could be a big midseason "add" to boost the SF pitching staff. (9:58) Inside Dish explores Ken's Hall of Fame ballot. He defends voting for Carlos Beltran and vouches for Jimm...

Ken Rosenthal explores what comes next with the free agent big board still loaded. Scott Boras clients are due up next. Ken dishes on the Giants, Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and Orioles as teams with extensive needs. Inside Dish dives deeper into the Braves landing Chris Sale. Is the juice worth the squeeze for Atlanta?  Does Vaughn Grissom improve the Red Sox? Grillin' Ken answers your questions, incl...

Ken's Holiday Special features the pitch clock success, Shohei Ohtani's unicorn year, Baltimore Orioles surprise, sleeper Arizona Diamondbacks, Vegas A's mistreatment, Hall of Fame ballot preview, World Baseball Classic reminiscing & the dominant run by Ronald Acuña Jr. Ken counts down his top 5 headlines of the 2023 season. Dude of the YEAR was the center of attention all year and so was a disgra...

What's the inside word on the looming Yoshinobu Yamamoto signing? Ken Rosenthal delivers the latest update on how this could play out. Ken also hits the Tyler Glasnow trade --> extension for the Dodgers. Inside Dish explores how the market is moving slowly but the starting pitching market is ready to burst any day now! Ken's Dudes figured out how to stay under the "Steve Cohen" tax & Dorks are asl...

Ken Rosenthal says Shohei Ohtani to LA for $700mil is good for baseball. Ken breaks down the reported contract deferrals & how the Dodgers progress with SHO-time in their lineup (and rotation?) for years to come. Inside Dish reacts to how the media covered Ohtani's saga. It's important to be speedy, and it's even more important to be right. Dude of the Week (aside from Shohei) spoke his mind when...

Ken thinks that Shohei Ohtani knows where he wants to sign! That's part of his Top 5 storylines entering the chaos in Nashville. How does Juan Soto's likely exit mirror how the Red Sox sent Mookie Betts to LA? Yoshinobu Yamamoto is "the belle of the ball" not named Ohtani. Ken explains why he feels his number is rising. Baseball the way it should be covered! Tap in to subscribe free to FT on Youtu...

Ken Rosenthal has the latest on Shohei Ohtani’s movement with the winter meetings approaching. And how will Scott Boras handle his stable of free agents? How much does the Sonny Gray signing strengthen the St. Louis rotation? Ken also highlights Kenta Maeda’s deal with the Detroit Tigers.  Grillin' Ken answers your questions, including where Juan Soto might end up, the next move in the Cubs clubho...

Ken Rosenthal breaks down the Phillies re-signing Aaron Nola & how the first starting pitching domino will impact the rest of the market. Ken unpacks Shohei Ohtani's free agent value in his latest piece for The Athletic. How long he may take to decide & what positions (outfield??) he could play for his new club. Plus, reaction to the Brewers non-tendering Brandon Woodruff as their first move in a...

Six manager vacancies down, two to go. Ken Rosenthal updates the manager carousel & explains why three minority hires is a good sign for the sport. Craig Counsell to the Cubs was messy. Ken explores the fallout from the move that shook baseball - including industry reaction and where David Ross stands now. Counsell's former team is gearing up for a tear down, and Ken thinks it's a good idea. "Go b...

The Dodgers, Red Sox & Cardinals all need arms. Where are there good fits for teams needing multiple starters? The Yankees have outfield decisions to make, and the Astros have core pieces lurking towards free agency the next few seasons. Plus, the Padres, Cubs & Giants have significant needs of their own. Inside Dish examines the manager trends across baseball - the last three World Series champs...

Ken reacts to the first two World Series games as the series shifts to Phoenix tied 1-1. Topics include Adolis García's Game 1 heroics matched by Ketel Marte's hit record & Merrill Kelly's Game 2 dominance. Two important questions emerge with Craig Counsell interviewing with the Mets: will the Mets give him the bag & will Counsell actually leave Milwaukee? Inside Dish explores how Ken covers the W...

Ken explains why this D'Backs-Rangers World Series is exciting and GOOD for baseball! Two unconventional teams with star power and strong stories heading into the Fall Classic. Plus, the Red Sox are taking a page from the Texas playbook with their new Chief Baseball Officer & Bob Melvin is shipping out of San Diego. Inside Dish explains why Ken deserves some credit for the DBacks pennant (kidding....

The Marlins need to check themselves after letting Kim Ng walk away. Bruce Sherman is a slam dunk Dork of the Week. The Rangers and Phillies are going for it! Ken Rosenthal explains why the two teams leading the League Championship Series benefit from signing free agents that are thriving on the big stage. Specifically, how Bryce Harper turned into this generation's Mr. October. Inside Dish recall...

How are the D'Backs biting the Dodgers right now?! Ken lists the ingredients to their upset run and of course hypes Phillies-Braves after that Game 2 thriller! Ken examines tweaks to the playoff format and why baseball needs to re-seed. C'mon, this isn't March Madness! Other topics covered: Carlos Correa re-rise to stardom, the Rangers are dangerous, and pondering a Twins-D'Backs World Series. Spe...

Inside Dish covers the Giants and Mets firing Gabe Kapler and Buck Showalter. Could either team lure Craig Counsell? Ken Rosenthal previews each Wild Card series and explains why Blue Jays-Twins could be the best matchup. What a weekend finish to the season! Tip of the cap to the Astros for winning the AL West and the Diamondbacks for capturing the 3rd NL Wild Card. Autopsies are in order for the...

Inside Dish explores some pending free agents and their possible offseason outlooks - including Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Josh Hader and more. And it's the last week of the regular season! Ken examines the wild wildcard hustle. Tip of the cap to the Dude who reached his round number & shame on the lame gift the Dorks gave Miguel Cabrera. Grillin' Ken answers your questions, including Bob Melvin'...

Is Shohei Ohtani still an easy AL MVP or has Corey Seager entered the chat? Ken Rosenthal has some thoughts and he also highlights the Dodgers for clinching yet another NL West title. A recap of the Orioles/Rays weekend series is here along with a comparison of remaining schedules for both clubs.  Ken’s birthday is this week, happy birthday, Ken! Inside Dish dives into his Top 5 most memorable eve...

Ken Rosenthal handicaps the AL East race and explains why Tampa Bay is still within striking distance of the Orioles for the top spot. Also, a look at the AL wildcard and continued congestion in the NL playoff picture. Ken explains why innings pitched - not advanced metrics - matter in deciding the Cy Young races. Inside Dish dives into the reporting behind The Athletic's deep dive into Tommy Pham...

Ken questions Shohei Ohtani's agent saying his client is readying to DH on opening day in 2024. What does it mean for Ohtani's future as a two-way star? Ken reacts to the Julio Urías felony domestic violence arrest. First, thinking about the health of the victim and second, Urías' future in baseball - including his own free agent path this offseason. Inside Dish explores the White Sox interviewing...

The Twins should be feared come playoff time! History be damned - Ken explains why this is the year for a better postseason showing in the Twin Cities. Shohei Ohtani has a torn UCL and is still playing. The two-way superstar is baseball's "sphinx" and the longer Ohtani keeps quiet, the longer the unanswered questions about his recovery and free agency linger. Ken starts with the Mariners surging a...

Ken Rosenthal laments the Yankees lost season: why years of poor decisions led to their downfall & how the Bronx Bombers can rebuild their organization. Not far behind as disappointments, why are the Padres looking up at young upstart teams in the NL Wild Card race? The Mariners are making the NL West a 3-horse race. Ken tells us how their offense has finally emerged and their sturdy pitching make...

Ken unwraps the bout by second base as players policing themselves. He dives into what has happened to Tim Anderson and why José Ramírez said "enough." A look at the NL Wild Card race reveals some teams sagging post-deadline. We've been waiting for the Padres to finally vault into playoff position - will they seize this opening? The Angels are backsliding again: why the move to go all-in for Shohe...

Full Ken reaction on how the market unfolded in a strange year, how the high-priced Mets and Yankees reacted differently and that wild arms race in the AL West. Ken shares his (lack of) sleep schedule and tales interacting with executives in a mad scramble. Dude of the Week is the lone female GM in the bigs and a dork Yankee fans would agree with. Ken talks fans in Boston & Minnesota off the ledge...

Ken reacts to the Mets moving Max Scherzer to the Rangers and asks if Justin Verlander will follow suit. The Dodgers are looking for pitching and the Rangers may not be done yet. Ken calls Padres GM A.J. Preller one of the most creative execs in baseball - what direction will he take his team? Inside Dish explores how the deadline is a unique beast. Verlander is the Dude of the Week for reaching a...

The trade deadline is a week away! Ken breaks down the slimming chances the Angels move Shohei Ohtani and the options the Padres & two other bubble teams are weighing. Ken explains how hectic the deadline is to cover, how information sometimes never gets out, the dilemma of being first versus being right, and the deal that didn't happen that stills gnaws at him. Austin Riley snags Dude of the Week...