Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 12-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds, the bullpen limiting the damage, Louis Varland figuring it out, and José Berríos's waning confidence on the mound. Then, they get into how George Springer's season impacts his legacy, Framber Valdez seemingly intentionally crossing up his catcher, and their expectations for Shane Bieber in his third start. Later, Adam Ottavino (28:35), former pitcher and host of Baseball and Coffee, stops by to give his take on the Valdez/Salazar incident, the Jays' pitching potential, what it takes to get back to form after Tommy John surgery, and Canadian pitcher Jonah Tong impressing early after his Mets call-up.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Blue Jays' TV analyst Buck Martinez (2:30) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about his expectations for Jose Berrios' start after coming off an extended rest, Shane Bieber's first two starts with the Jays, if Brendon Little can adjust to his pitches this late into the year, how he would catch Jeff Hoffman, why Addison Barger moving down in the lineup could benefit him, and Bo Bichette's consistent at-bats. Then, former MLB executive and host of "Roster to Rings" podcast Thad Levine joins the guys (28:00) to discuss Louis Varland's slow acclimation into the Blue Jays' system, if his can become a starter again, navigating call-ups during September for a playoff bound team, having the tough conversation and decision to send a veteran player to waivers, and how his role changed nearing the end of the regular season.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds and another bullpen breakdown in the ninth. They discuss Ryan Borucki's call-up, whether Brendon Little's second-half struggles are correctable, and Bo Bichette's consistency at the plate. Then, they review Max Scherzer's interview on Foul Territory where he opened up on his back injury and Vladdy's untapped potential. Later, Reds broadcaster and former MLB reliever Jeff Brantley (29:11) shares his thoughts on the season in Cincinnati, Terry Francona's management style, the difficulty of balancing being competitive vs. fostering player development, and the pressure on the closer during a playoff push.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined in-studio with Blue Jays radio analyst and former pitcher Chris Leroux to debate how John Schneider should reconsider utilizing Brendon Little and the rest of the relievers, if the roster is capable of being the best team in the Majors, even the AL East, Eric Lauer's second stint back to the bullpen, and Bo Bichette's contact ability this season. Then, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi stops by to discuss the Blue Jays' recent additions to the team with rosters expanding for the month, if they can still call-up Trey Yesavage to the big leagues, why he wouldn't be too concerned with Jeff Hoffman despite some hiccups over the recent stretch, and if John Schneider will consider switching up the second spot in the batting order.   The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Milwaukee Brewers TV play-by-play voice Brian Anderson (1:39) to discuss the team's offensive style of play, what's behind Christian Yelich's resurgence, why Abner Uribe could fill their closer's shoes with Trevor Megill out, and who would be the team's Game 1 starter in October. Then, Jeff and Kevin chat about Markham, ON's Jonah Tong making his big league debut for the New York Mets, before diving back into the Blue Jays' lineup without Ernie Clement, how the batting order stacks up compared to previous years, the continuation of the 6-man rotation, and how the rest of the schedule shapes up for Toronto.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Blue Jays manager John Schneider (7:04) ahead of the team's weekend series against the NL-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The skipper shares team injury updates, how Jeff Hoffman and Addison Barger have handled up-and-down months, Trey Yesavage's pathway to a postseason opportunity, Davis Schneider's evolution as a big leaguer, and much more. Later, NESN analyst and former World Series champion Jonathan Papelbon (30:32) swings by to discuss Walker Buehler's release from the Red Sox today, how much credit Alex Cora gets for Boston's mid-season turnaround, and the pressure on a closer at this time of the season.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Blue Jays Central's Caleb Joseph (3:28) to weigh in on the Blue Jays' series against the Minnesota Twins, the bullpen's struggles keeping runners on base, who slots into the Jays' two-hole in an ideal order, whether Eric Lauer's rocky start is a red flag for the rotation's extended rest, and which relievers are in the 'circle of trust.' Later, former Blue Jays manager and two-time World Series champion Cito Gaston (31:23) joins the show to reflect on his upcoming induction into the Negro League Baseball Museum's Hall of Game, his relationship with other inductees Dusty Baker, Jerry Manuel, and Willie Randolph, and his thoughts on the 2025 Blue Jays as they make the final push to the playoffs.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker quickly recap the Blue Jays late game comeback against the Minnesota Twins and Jeff Hoffman's redemption in the 9th inning before bringing on former pitcher and MLB Network Analyst Dan Plesac (5:55) to chat about what he saw from Shane Bieber's first outing against the Miami Marlins since coming off Tommy John, how the Jays' top three pitchers stack up against other teams' top starters, what are clear red flags coming from your closers as we near October, his assessment of Jeff Hoffman, and how the Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in the AL. Then, The Athletic's Twins reporter Dan Hayes stops by (31:19) to discuss the team's hitting differences since letting go of the current Jays hitting coach David Popkins, how David found success with Toronto's lineup, and his ability to work with hitters. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

ESPN's Jeff Passan (2:59) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the Milwaukee Brewers losing closer Trevor Megill to a flexor strain, if the Blue Jays' bullpen is good enough to win a World Series, Cal Raleigh's case for American League MVP, and who will come out of the AL West. Then, host of Nothing Personal, David Samson (25:14) stops by to discuss Jeff Hoffman's recent blown save, why he's still picking the Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox, who's the best team in performing on the road, if he's surprised with the Texas Rangers added to the group of one-and-done teams, and how he views pitchers coming off Tommy John and returning to the mound. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 7-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins and discuss Jeff Hoffman's ninth-inning blowup. They get into the team's bullpen-wide slump, George Springer's two-homer game and Chris Bassitt's start. Later, Jeff and Kevin open up the Back Leg Line to answer your calls and questions. Should the Jays have added a bona fide closer at the deadline? Can Springer sustain his scorching August form? Will Eric Lauer make a permanent move to the bullpen? And more.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly (0:51) to chat about the success throughout their lineup this season, their home versus road performances, whether he sees their hitting approach translating well into the postseason, Addison Barger's evolution in his bat skills, Vlad Jr.'s 2025, and how John Schneider has navigated managing. Then, Blue Jays TV play-by-play voice Dan Shulman stops by (28:36) to discuss the expectations on when Anthony Santander could return to the main roster, the team's success rate at Rogers Centre, Dan's walkthrough with the Jays' Trajekt tech hitting machine, how Schneider maps out his bullpen pitchers up until calling upon his closer, and Andrés Giménez's presence in the infield. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 10-4 win over the Minnesota Twins to kick off a three-game series. They get into Andrés Giménez's adjustment at the plate before reflecting on the team's consistency since the All-Star break. Then, ahead of his start tonight, they debate whether Chris Bassitt's home/road split discrepancy is overblown. Later, retired MLB outfielder and Twins TV analyst Denard Span (23:09) discusses the Twins' future outlook after their fire-sale at the deadline, what the Jays' bats can expect from tonight's starter Bailey Ober, the next step in Royce Lewis' development, and former Twin Louis Varland's potential as a starter in Toronto.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker quickly revisit Shane Bieber's debut with the Blue Jays and how the rotation could shape up with the former Cy Young Award winner in the fold, before hearing John Schneider's media availability ahead of their series against the Minnesota Twins, including an update on Yimi Garcia's injury. Then, former pitcher and host on MLB Network Radio Jensen Lewis (28:00) stops by to discuss Bieber's return to the mound, how difficult is it to pitch to a new catcher, Max Scherzer maintaining his velocity at the age of 41, who would pitch Game 1 of the postseason between Shane and Max, how he would evaluate relievers near the end of a regular season, and the Boston Red Sox's post trade deadline turnaround. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open the week with a look back on the Blue Jays' series against the Miami Marlins. They check in on the standings before digging into Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s return to the lineup, Shane Bieber's debut, shaky play from the bullpen, and whether it's time for the club to call up top prospect Trey Yesavage. Then, Blue Jays Central analyst Joe Siddall (29:03) weighs in on the team's bullpen-wide struggles, the plan for the rotation down the stretch, what's behind Addison Barger's recent power outage at the plate, and who bats second in a must-win game. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in Bob Nightengale (3:01) of USA Today to share his expectations for Shane Bieber's return to the mound and Blue Jays debut, if the Jays are capable of a deep run and win the AL East, Max Scherzer pitching like he was 10 years ago, the New York Mets' drastic turnaround season, whether Kyle Tucker's market will dictate Bo Bichette's pending free agency, and the prospect of the MLB looking into expansion with a shorten season. Then, Rob Bradford of WEEI in Boston stops by (34:40) to chat about Walker Buehler's move to the bullpen, Red Sox calling up Jhostynxon Garcia, how the Boston club stacks up against the New York Yankees, and the confidence coming from Roman Anthony in his rookie year.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.