Blair & Barker

The Blue Jays take three of four in their extended weekend series against Detroit as the trade deadline looms. Jeff and Kevin talk about Jose Berrios' outing, how the lineup is affected when George Springer isn't leading off, and how certain members of the Tigers' bullpen would look good in a Blue Jays uniform after seeing them first-hand. Later on, the guys examine how the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Orioles fared over the weekend in the latest edition of "In the East” (29:15).

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 analyst and former catcher Caleb Joseph comments on what he saw out of Yusei Kikuchi on Thursday, Danny Jansen’s influence on the game from behind the plate, and what could happen between now and the trade deadline for the team (04:46). Later on, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers discusses the trade markets for Ian Happ and David Robertson, his read on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, and looks into how the Cubs and Blue Jays have scouted each other at the minor-league level (29:36). Jeff and Kevin wonder if the Giants’ Joc Pederson could be a player of interest to the Blue Jays in latest edition of Barker’s Back Leg Bits (39:58).

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.

Jeff Blair & Kevin Barker recap Toronto’s 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers, a game with no shortage of storylines. The guys delve into Matt Chapman staying hot at the plate with two home runs, George Springer’s elbow, Yusei Kikuchi earning the win, and the level of confidence in him going forward. Tigers TV analyst Craig Monroe shares a scouting report on the Tigers’ bullpen with relievers like Gregory Soto, Joe Jiménez, and Alex Lange in-demand ahead of MLB’s trade deadline (34:30).

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 pitcher Ross Stripling talks about the mood in the Blue Jays clubhouse ahead of the trade deadline, Adam Wainwright’s performance last night, and his work with Pete Walker and bullpen coach Matt Buschmann (01:44). Later on, Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman discusses the Yankees’ trade for Andrew Benintendi, why she believes Luis Castillo is New York’s number one target, and reflects on being selected for induction into the Radio Hall of Fame (29:03). To wrap up, Blair corrects Barker's memory, and Edwin Diaz’s walk-out music dominates the latest installment of Barker’s Back Leg Bits (41:45).

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.

Albert Pujols and Adam Wainwright provided vintage performances to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 at Rogers Centre and split their mini two-game series. Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss the game, particularly John Schneider’s decision to take Kevin Gausman out in the fourth inning. Afterwards, the guys discuss Andrew Benintendi being traded from the Royals to the Yankees and how interested the Blue Jays might have been in his services, before welcoming in former catcher and current MLB Network analyst Anthony Recker to add to the conversation (28:15).

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 Tim Kurkjian returns to Blair and Barker to reflect on Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown where he was honoured with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award. He also comments on why now is the best time for the Nationals to trade Juan Soto, and the predicament the Boston Red Sox find themselves in following their recent stretch and the unknown futures of Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts (03:39). The guys then focus in on Jeff Passan’s latest report on the Blue Jays being amongst the teams interested in starting pitchers Luis Castillo and Frankie Montas; and discuss Carlos Rodon’s bat-kicking incident in Barker’s Back Leg Bits (26:27).

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 recap Toronto’s 10-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals as the team’s recent offensive surge continues. They also discuss the likelihood of Yusei Kikuchi starting Thursday's game against the Detroit Tigers following his strong stint in AAA with the Buffalo Bisons. Sportsnet’s Buck Martinez returns to the show following his homecoming at the broadcast booth last night to share his thoughts on Toronto’s needs at the trade deadline and Alek Manoah’s workload down the stretch (30:16).

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.

Jeff and Kevin talk about Yusei Kikuchi being named Buffalo Bisons Player of the Week and when he might re-join the Blue Jays (06:23). MLB insider Jeff Passan shares what he’s hearing ahead of the deadline, which pitchers might make sense for the Blue Jays and other contenders and his read on the Juan Soto sweepstakes (11:38). In the latest edition of Barker’s Back Leg Bits, Jeff and Kevin answer your questions including weighing-in on Nick Castellanos’ exchange with Phillies’ beat reporter Jim Salisbury (36:26).

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 show looking at the American league standings after an off-day for the Blue Jays and key-in on the recent injuries to the Rays (Kevin Kiermaier, Mike Zunino), Red Sox (Chris Sale), and Yankees (Michael King). Afterwards, the guys are joined by Cardinals reporter Derrick Goold to preview the Toronto-St. Louis series and discuss the team's missing pieces Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado for the series and how interested St. Louis is in Juan Soto’s services at the trade deadline (24:51).

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 play-by-play voice Dan Shulman shares his thoughts on the Blue Jays' impressive series at Fenway Park, how Boston's trade deadline strategy was impacted, Xander Bogaerts’ contract status, and Matt Chapman’s production over the last several weeks (10:42). World Series champion and MLB analyst Ryan Dempster talks about Boston’s recent struggles and Alek Manoah’s competitiveness on the mound, before looking back on playing alongside David Ortiz and why he is deserving of his first ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame (27:53).

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.