Blair & Barker

Phillies Manager and Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Rob Thomson discusses his club’s play since he took over for Joe Girardi, Kyle Schwarber’s standout season, and if he believes switching up a team’s batting order can have a positive impact on the lineup (00:06). Vancouver Canadians pitcher Ricky Tiedemann talks about his impressive 2022 season, his ascent up the Blue Jays prospect chart, and looks ahead to participating in the Futures Game in Los Angeles during All-Star week (27:45).

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.

Jeff and Kevin look ahead to the mini-two game series between the Phillies and Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, discuss which players will be put on the restricted list, and react to J.T. Realmuto’s comments about not being able to participate in the series. Blue Jays radio play-by-play voice Ben Wagner joins the show to discuss if Charlie Montoyo is on the hot seat, Gabriel Moreno’s pitch-framing, and compares Jays prospect Ricky Tiedemann to Alek Manoah (29:40).

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 analyst Bill Ripken talks about the Orioles' recent resurgence, why he still likes the Jays despite their recent skid, how in-season trades can affect a clubhouse, and which contender needs to make a move the most (02:45). Jeff and Kevin react to both the AL and NL rosters for the All-Star game and discuss this year's biggest snubs, before ending the show with an extended edition of “Barker’s Back Leg Bits” (27:01)

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 Blue Jays now find themselves tied with the Seattle Mariners following a four-game sweep at T-Mobile park. Jeff and Kevin examine the series as a whole, particularly yesterday’s 6-5 loss and the job Max Castillo did on the mound. The guys also discuss the mood around the club during this tumultuous point in the season, and the bizarre play where the ball went through Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s glove that would’ve been a double play. Later on, Blair & Barker take a look at the play of the Orioles, Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox in the latest installment of “In the East” (30:50).

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 are joined by former MLB catcher Caleb Joseph to look back on Thursday's loss in Seattle, identify ways to shake-up the lineup, and update the injury report for Kevin Gausman (04:40).

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' 8-3 loss in Seattle to kick off the 4-game series. They discuss Anthony Banda and Casey Lawrence's performance on the mound and the Jays' need to add arms to their pitching staff. After the break, the guys break down Charlie Montoyo's ideal bullpen deployment and look ahead to Friday's game in Seattle with Ross Stripling on the bump (31:20).

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.

Former Mariners pitcher and current analyst Ryan Rowland-Smith discusses Robbie Ray’s recent turnaround, Ty France’s All-Star calibre season, Julio Rodriguez blooming into a star and more ahead of the upcoming series in Seattle (00:48). Later on, Blue Jays play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman joins the show from Seattle where many Blue Jays fans are expected to make the trip from western Canada! Dan and the guys discuss if Danny Jansen and Yimi Garcia will re-join the team on the road trip, Adam Cimber’s dependability, Gabriel Moreno, and who should get sent down if Jansen returns (26:36).

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 Blue Jays’ losing streak has come to an end after a 2-1 win over the Oakland A’s. Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker talk through Jose Berrios’ start, Matt Chapman’s strong series, his improvement at the plate, and Jordan Romano earning his first save since June 19th. In an extended edition of Barker’s Back leg Bits, Kevin answers questions on the current state of the Jays’ offence, this team’s expectations compared to the 2013 roster, and Teoscar Hernandez' season so far (29:19).

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’s Jon Morosi joins Blair and Barker to provide his thoughts on the Blue Jays' recent play, the early returns they’re getting on Berrios and Kikuchi's contracts, and why he believes José Quintana could be a target for Toronto ahead of the trade deadline (01:46). Later on, Jeff Passan of ESPN discusses the role of the starting pitcher, why MLB teams aren’t letting their starters go as deep into games this season, Alek Manoah’s thoughts on the matter, and what it means for the future of baseball (25:14).  

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 the show reacting to Charlie Montoyo’s blunt post-game comments regarding Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi after failing to get out of the third inning Tuesday's 5-3 loss to Oakland, and discuss the decision to rest both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the same night. Long-time MLB executive and former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti joins the guys to discuss what conversations are like between front offices a month away from the trade deadline and how things can differ from the American and National League (31:10).

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.