Blair & Barker

In the first hour, Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap everything from this weekend's Blue Jays-Twins series including the controversial call at home plate, Kevin Gausman's impressive start on Sunday, and what they saw from Mitch White, before reflecting on who the best Blue Jays position player has been this season. The guys are then briefly joined by former catcher and Sportsnet analyst Caleb Joseph (28:18) to share his interpretation of the play at the plate, before Sportsnet's Joe Siddall (38:24) adds to the conversations to clear up any lingering confusion surrounding the call. 

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.

The Athletic's Jayson Stark comments on Shohei Ohtani's future, his importance financially to the Angels, the Braves' locking up their core players, and how the baseball world perceived the Blue Jays' moves and Milwaukee's decision to trade closer Josh Hader (01:55). To wrap up, Jeff and Kevin delve into the job John Schneider has done so far and his communication with players in this week's final edition of 'Barker's Back Leg Bits’ (32:09).

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 start off discussing Whit Merrifield being able to join the Blue Jays in Toronto right away, John Schneider not being afraid to shuffle the batting order, and Alek Manoah's performance in Toronto's 9-3 win over Minnesota. Afterwards, Twins' Senior Vice President and General Manager Thad Levine re-joins the show with his read on MLB's trade deadline, how deals evolve after months of lead up, and the dogfight in the American League Central (26:58).

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.

Padres radio analyst Tony Gwynn Jr. discusses the impact of San Diego's new-look lineup with Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury after beating the Rockies 9-1. He also comments on Fernando Tatis Jr.'s upcoming rehab assignment and why Dinelson Lamet didn't work out with the club (03:17). Later on, MLB insider Jeff Passan sorts through the deals that didn't get done on deadline day, what scouts are saying about the Blue Jays-Marlins trade involving Jordan Groshans, if he thinks Toronto could have done more, and why the Tigers held on to their relievers (35:05).

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 break down Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, specifically Yusei Kikuchi's mechanics after lasting only four innings. They also discuss what they're seeing with Bo Bichette at the plate and if it's time for a change in the Blue Jays' batting order. In 'Barker's Back Leg Bits', Jeff and Kevin continue the conversation on Bichette and question if Jackie Bradley Jr. and Dinelson Lamet should peak Toronto's interest after being designated for assignment by the Red Sox and Brewers respectively (29:16).

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.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale discusses if the Padres are now equipped to take on the Dodgers post-deadline, his read on the Blue Jays' moves and what he would have liked to see them do, the Cubs standing pat, and the Yankees' shopping spree (02:56). Jeff and Kevin also react to the breaking news of Ross Stripling hitting the IL and fit in another edition of Barker's Back Leg Bits before the break (17:50). To wrap up, radio play-by-play voice Ben Wagner previews today's Jays-Rays matchup and talks about Danny Jansen's work with Yusei Kikuchi and how players in the Jays' clubhouse felt about the deadline (31:21).

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 and Kevin open up the show celebrating legendary MLB play-by-play broadcaster Vin Scully who passed away at the age of 94, before turning their attention to the Toronto Blue Jays and MLB's trade deadline. The guys break down the Blue Jays' acquisitions of Whit Merrifield, Anthony Bass, Zach Pop, and Mitch White, the prices paid by teams around the Majors, and Toronto's 3-1 win over Tampa Bay thanks to a strong start from Kevin Gausman. Later on, Royals broadcaster Jeff Montgomery joins Blair and Barker to explain what two-time All-Star Merrifield will bring to the Blue Jays (35:45).

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.

Yankees reporter Sweeny Murti discusses the moves made by Brian Cashman ahead of the deadline including adding Andrew Benintendi and Frankie Montas, and looks ahead to project if he's expecting more before 6pm ET (01:11). Orioles reporter Roch Kubatko shares his thoughts on Jorge Lopez' departure, the return the Orioles got for Trey Mancini, and the availability of Cedric Mullins (16:00). After the break, Rays TV analyst Brian Anderson previews the two-game series with the Blue Jays and speculates on what else Tampa might be up to after acquiring David Peralta (26:53). To end the show, Jeff and Kevin react to the breaking news reports that Juan Soto is being traded to the San Diego Padres.

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 discuss the latest moves around MLB on the day of the trade deadline, notably the moves made by their rivals in the AL East. Sportsnet's Shi Davidi checks-in from Tampa Bay with what the Blue Jays are up to: their reported interest in Noah Syndergaard, if their preference is to trade for players who are free agents at the end of the season, and being runners-up to the Yankees in the Frankie Montas sweepstakes (26:08). Later on, WEEI's Rob Bradford comments on the Red Sox both buying and selling so far (36:10), before the guys react to Orioles' closer Jorge Lopez being dealt to Minnesota.

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.

MLB Network insider Jon Morosi joins Blair & Barker in-studio for the full hour to discuss the latest around MLB's rumour mill ahead of the deadline. Jon talks about the pursuits of Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani, if the Blue Jays are involved in those talks at any level, the availability of the Tigers' arms, and if the Blue Jays would trade anyone from their major-league roster (00:07). Morosi sticks around to answer fan questions during "Barker's Back Leg Bits" including how he viewed Toronto's decision to move on from Charlie Montoyo as manager (29:29).

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.