On this special edition of Around The Nest—the Toronto Blue Jays minor league podcast—host Tyler Zickel of the Vancouver Canadians is joined by the Voice of the Buffalo Bisons Pat Malacaro to introduce Jays fans to these non-roster players:

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Josh and Nick discuss the Jays offseason so far including the odd slow pace to the whole league, the somewhat confusing additions of Kevin Kiermaier and Isiah Kiner-Falefa and what they bring to the table, the depth signing of Yariel Rodriguez and his value to the club, Ross Atkins fanning the flames of the fanbase and finally, what comes next.

They also answer listener questions.

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Josh is joined by former player agent Joshua Kusnick (11:05) to discuss the winter meetings and the bizarre Ohtani situation the led to him joining the Dodgers, including how JP Hoornstra's article was instrumental in sealing the deal for Los Angeles.

Josh also discusses the frenzy that led up to the signing and the emotional impact it has on the fanbase, as well as the very real holes it leaves on the roster as they attempt to compete in 2024.

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In Greg's final episode as the host of Artificial Turf Wars, he, Josh and Nick give out season ending awards in categories ranging from the obvious (best pitcher, favourite moment, team MVP, etc.) to the unusual (most unfairly maligned, bona fide or Bonifaco, etc.) including submissions from the listeners.

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Greg and Josh discuss the failed foray into the postseason for the Blue Jays, with looks at the pitching performances, good and less good, that were overshadowed by the hitting, outs on the bases and a manager's decision that became a lightning rod for criticism. They also compare the P.R. approaches of the two people tasked with leading the club, Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro, and how they handled their year-end press conferences.

They also answer a full mailbag worth of listener questions before Greg shares an important final thought.

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Brandon Warne of Access Twins and Locked on Twins joins the podcast (11:00) to preview the upcoming Wild Card series between Toronto and Minnesota. He goes over the changes to the roster since the Jays saw them earlier in the year, how the lineup stacks up even with some key players possibly unavailable due to injury and how the rotation and bullpen have been reshaped to provide support for a hot offence.

Greg and Josh also talk about the end of the season notes and signs from the final two games as well as how the roster will look for the first round of the postseason. They also answer listener questions.

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Greg and Josh look at the state of the Jays heading into the final weekend of play. They discuss the solid series in Tampa Bay before laying two goose eggs to start the Yankees series, with a problem that has been occurring all season rearing its ugly head again: the inability to hit good pitching. They also look at the incredible work of Bassitt to get to 200 innings and the circumstances required to get there, Gausman setting a career high in strikeouts, Chapman and Belt showing a bit of power as part of the new lineup structure, and the weird results that have led to the Jays being where they are in the postseason race and what has to happen to get in.

They also answer listener questions and give out both a Gold Star and a Do Over.

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Greg and Josh look at the recent events as the Jays enter the stretch run They discuss Biggio earning regular playing time with both improved hitting and, perhaps more importantly, defensively around the diamond, Bo finding his timing again, Vlad dealing with an injury that hopefully won’t linger, a tremendous rebound from the rotation following a rough turn against Texas, with an especially important 7 innings from Berríos, Cam Eden finally adding a true speed element to the bench, and Brandon Belt slowly making his way back from injury.

They also answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star.

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In the penultimate episode of the 2023 season, host Tyler Zickel (Vancouver Canadians) chats with fellow broadcasters Chris Valentine (Dunedin Blue Jays) and Gareth Kwok (New Hampshire Fisher Cats) to wrap up the minor league regular campaign. The Nest crew talk about the top bats, arms, and moments this year in the Blue Jays minor league system, including names like Jace Bohrofen, Alan Roden, Josh Kasevich, Mason Fluharty, Adrian Hernandez, Adam Macko, Lazaro Estrada, Kendry Rojas, Ian Churchill, Michael Tirconi, Miguel Hiraldo, and CJ van Eyk.

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Greg and Josh discuss the latest in Blue Jays land starting with the 9-3 overall record against the league bottom feeders including a sweep of the Royals that included some red flags that have shown up in the Texas series. They also go over the first few games of the Texas series and what has gone wrong, the continued strong offensive showing of the Buffalo Boys, Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement and Spencer Horwitz, the pitching hitting a bit of a wall at the worst time and the bizarre Alek Manoah saga with the news of his anger over his option.

They also give out a Do Over to an odd situation in Seattle.

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