Artificial Turf Wars

Greg and Josh break down the recent signings of Kendrys Morales and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., then they go over the Bautista/Encarnacion qualifying offer decisions and their ramifications, the reported offer to Brett Cecil, and some of the goofiness that came along with the Cy Young voting results. They also answer some listener questions and wish a speedy recovery to Jerry Howarth in his fight with prostate cancer. 

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MLBPA Certified Player Agent, Joshua Kusnick stops by to discuss the agent role in CBA talks, planning stages for arbitration hearings, the relationship between player and agent, and how an agent must distance themself from their fandom. He also shares a fun story about how he signed one of his current clients. Greg, Josh, and Nick then tee up the offseason with a look at Blue Jays qualifying offers, the markets for Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, and potential free agent fits for the club. They also answer listener questions, discuss Kevin Pillar's Gold Glove loss, and decided to have some fun with a new game.

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Nick Dika joins Greg and Josh to recap the ups and downs of the 2016 season. They go over a bunch of categories ranging from the best moments of the year and top hitters and pitchers on the team, to the most surreal moment and when it really felt like rock bottom. There are plenty of highs to discuss, plenty of lows, and a couple of straight up confusing moments. Finally, they top it all off by awarding the Do-Over of the year and then sharing their final overall thoughts on the season that was. 

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Greg and Josh react to a tough ALCS loss to Cleveland in five games, with a specific look at what went wrong with the offense - other than a select few players - the solid starting and incredible relief pitching, the futures of Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, and the overall insanity of the postseason. They also give out a Do-Over to yet further inaccuracy from the TBS broadcast and then answer a whole slate of listener questions.

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Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs stops by to preview the upcoming ALCS with a focus on the liberal use of platoons, the deep Andrew Miller-led bullpen and its effect on the depleted Cleveland rotation, and specific matchups between the two clubs. Greg and Josh then go back over the ALDS against Texas game by game, highlighting specific things that stood out from the series and what they could mean going forward. They also address the health of Devon Travis and Francisco Liriano, answer listener questions, and give out a couple of Do-Overs. 

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Jamie Campbell of Blue Jays Central on Sportsnet stops by the podcast to discuss the crazy Wild Card game against Baltimore and to lay the groundwork for the upcoming ALDS series against the Texas Rangers. Greg and Josh also break down the game, with a look at special performances from the two big sluggers, the beleaguered bullpen, and the surprising Ezequiel Carrera. They also discuss the Roberto Osuna injury and the last few games of the regular season. Finally, they answer a bunch of listener questions and give a unique Do-Over to the person tossed a beer at Baltimore's Hyun-soo Kim.

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Greg and Josh discuss the tragic passing of José Fernández and his impact on both the Marlins and the baseball world at large, the ill-timed Blue Jays bench-clearing melée and the injury-related fallout, the stellar starting pitching and the not so stellar bullpen, Jose Bautista's comic-book hero status, and the slumping lineup. They also answer a bunch of listener questions, give out a Do-Over to the Sportsnet graphics crew for their erroneous ERA leaderboard, decide Steve Clevenger does NOT deserve Do Over rights, and hand out a Cliché of the Week.

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Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated stops by to discuss his support for "Team Entropy" - the chaos that can be created when there are multiple teams tied for playoff spots. He runs down some of the potential fun of this year's pennant race, while also weighing in on playoff roster sizes and series regulations. Greg and Josh also discuss Marco Estrada's bounceback start, Edwin Encarnacion's impressive season, the Blue Jays second home in Seattle, and the still slumping offence. Finally, they answer listener questions, discuss some fun Jays stats from the past week, and give out a special award to Rick Porcello. 

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Greg and Josh go over the last week in Blue Jays land with a focus on the strange offensive approach and struggles, the ineffective middle relief, and the inconsistent defence. They also discuss Josh Donaldson's injury and its potential impact on the team, the hiring of Ben Cherington, the resurgence of Brett Cecil, and some of the new Blue Jays ticketing plans. They finish things off with listene questions, a couple of Gold Stars, and a Do-Over that hits a little close to home. 

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Matt Kory of Baseball Prospectus (and many other sites) stops by to discuss the upcoming battle between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays with a note on which hitters and pitchers are coming in playing well. He also discusses the challenges that Yoan Moncada faces as a young prospect who has been thrust into the spotlight of pennant race and the Mookie Betts/Josh Donaldson MVP race battle. Greg and Josh also lament the extremely sorry state of the Jays in the last week, with a specific look at struggling hitters and pitchers. Finally, they answer questions from depressed listeners and give a half do-over to some announcers around the league. 

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