In a recent sitdown with MLB.com, Cleveland manager Terry Francona answered questions on a wide range of topics from his health to the Indians, who have played their way into postseason contention. Since the sitdown, the Indians lost infielder Jose Ramirez to a fractured wrist, providing Francona -- and the Tribe -- yet another challenge to overcome.

MLB.com: According to baseball experts, the 2019 Indians were a team in transition. But you proved them wrong. How were you able to do it?

Terry Francona: I think we are in transition. We have so many young new faces, especially with the pitchers, because of the injuries. As our [front office] has said, “We have to keep our payroll more in line with where we can be competitive every year.” I think they have done a tremendous job giving us a chance to win in the year we thought it was going to be a transitional year. There is nothing worse than coming to the ballpark in August when you are 20 games out. I don’t care how much money you are making, it’s not fun. We kind of earned the right to have every game be so meaningful.

MLB.com: That being said, what has been your most pleasant surprise this year?

Francona: It’s not over. But at this point, we have three really young, inexperienced pitchers -- Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac and Shane Bieber -- starting. They have competed and not backed down. It has been really fun to watch. I don’t want to paint a doomsday picture, because that’s not how I feel. I don’t think it’s fair to think there’s not going to be hiccups. … They have poise.

We brought veterans in like [Tyler] Clippard. I haven’t had a conversation with somebody in the bullpen. It’s been like that for seven years. They just take the ball. They let us pitch them when we want and I appreciate it. Enjoying it with guys make it better.

MLB.com: How much has Bieber surprised you?

Francona: I don’t want to say “surprised.” But I find myself using the same adjectives with him that I was using with Corey Kluber seven years ago -- work ethic, preparation, pitching. Bieber is right in the same mold and he is just getting better and better. It doesn’t mean he is going to throw harder. It means he knows the league. He is starting to know himself. He is refining his secondary pitches. It has been fun to watch.

MLB.com: You must be having fun.

Francona: I’m a little tired. As you get older, it’s gets harder, physically. But I enjoy our guys. In this job, sometimes you have to deliver messages that are not fun. So I try to enjoy the other parts of it as much as I can. … You send guys down, and I hate it. I don’t like delivering bad news. That’s not my nature. But when you have a team going in one direction -- I even tell them if it’s the wrong direction, if we go through it together, we’ll be OK. We’ll have it figured out.

MLB.com: You are way ahead of me here. Since you mentioned it, how’s your health?

Francona: I’ve been through a lot. I’ve had blood clots. I’ve had pulmonary embolism. I’ve had heart issues. My knees are not mine. This hip is not mine. It takes a toll on me. But the guys are really good. Millsey [bench coach Brad Mills] picks up a lot of stuff for me during batting practice. It helps me get off my feet because I need to be ready for the game.

I go on the plane and I go in the back and lay down because if I sit [in the front], my leg will swell and I won’t be able to get my shoe on. It makes me mad. I wear these Jobst Stockings. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me on those 100-degree days ... but I’m OK. The Indians look after me. I think I’m generally pretty healthy. I’m just kind of creaky.

MLB.com: That leads to my next question. How much do you have in the tank? I know you are signed through 2022.

Francona: I don’t know. I really don’t know. I’m sure there will be a day where I’m cheating the organization because I can’t do it the right way. I think it takes a lot of energy to do it the right way. Or if I lose the passion, I wouldn’t want to do it. But I’m not there yet. I think part of that is where I work. I love where I work. I love the people I work with. I have a feeling if I wasn’t working here, I probably would have already -- maybe -- called it quits. But … I know that day is coming. I don’t necessary sit and dwell on it. I will probably know when it’s time.

MLB.com: You have been a manager for 19 years. How do you stay fit? You talked about Brad Mills, who I know. How does he help you?

Francona: He is my right arm. He knows what I’m going to say before I say it. I’ll tell him: “I know what you are going to say, too.” If we are on Field 1 in Spring Training, and I left to go do something, the drill would get done like it's supposed to. I feel like I’ve learned more baseball from him than he has learned from me.

MLB.com: You have been with Mills since you attended the University of Arizona starting in 1977. Did you think the relationship would last this long?

Francona: I thought I would be coaching for him. And kind of luck of the draw, it went the other way.

MLB.com: But he is still with you.

Francona: And I know it. I know it.

MLB.com: Outside Mills, who has helped you stay healthy?

Francona: The Indians do a pretty good job. We also have the Cleveland Clinic. I’ve been in Boston and Cleveland. You can’t find two better medical hospitals than those two. I’ve been pretty fortunate there.

MLB.com: Do you realize the great career you have had as a manager?

Francona: I’ve been pretty fortunate. I’m the same person that was beat up in Philly. I got put in some pretty good positions. I got the job in Boston. I’m kind of a baseball lifer. I know that. The one thing I will brag about is, I’ve been around more good people than anybody. I guarantee it. I feel fortunate for that.

MLB.com: Let’s get back to baseball. How has the Trevor Bauer deal helped the Indians?

Francona: We won’t know until it’s over. Replacing his innings is difficult. That was one thing you count on, man. Every five days, he is going to go out there [and give you innings]. But we got two right-handed power hitters [Franmil Reyes and Yasiel Puig] that we desperately needed. In the meantime, we also kind of helped our chances for next year to keep our payroll -- Bauer might make $18 to $20 million next year. That makes it hard to try to make something fit. So it probably helped in a couple of ways.

MLB.com: Talk about Puig. It seems like he has fit in with this team.

Francona: I think this is an easy team to fit in. I felt that way since the day we got him. This team is really inclusive. The players are very welcoming.

MLB.com: How has Puig done on the field?

Francona: He has been good. He has played with enthusiasm. He plays with exuberance. You want that to rub off on people. How we play the game -- you want it to rub off on him, because he hasn’t been around us. It’s not always fair to expect somebody to know things. I don’t want to tell guys, “You go point A to B to C.” I want them to know how we play the game. But he didn’t get to go to Spring Training with us. So we are kind of learning on the fly.

MLB.com: He seems happy.

Francona: He’s a happy kid. He is a nice kid. He does a lot of things for people. He is pleasant to talk to. When something happens every once in a while on the field, he’ll get a little riled up. If you are looking for the bad in people, you could probably find it. I choose to look for the good and try to get more of that. I think that’s what managing is.

MLB.com: Carlos Santana is back with the Indians. What is the difference between him now and the years you had him before he went to Philly?

Francona: By the time he left here, he had endeared himself to everybody. When I first got here, he was younger and he was still catching. As everybody does, he had some growing up to do. By the time he left, he had done that and we were heartbroken when he left. So when he came back, not only did we get a guy back that we loved, I think he was coming home, too. So it was like the best of both worlds.

MLB.com: You were also heartbroken when Michael Brantley left. I heard you were crying. You couldn’t talk.

Francona: All of us were. We have these exit meetings. There wasn’t a dry eye there. He is a wonderful kid.

MLB.com: I don’t think you are surprised what he is doing with the Astros.

Francona: Not even a little bit. What he does on the field doesn’t touch what he is as a person. But I would say the same thing about Josh Tomlin, who went to the Braves this year. He didn’t pitch that good last year. It was just as hard to say goodbye to him. When guys are those kind of teammates, as a manager you respect that so much because they helped so much.