Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker host. Toronto Blue Jays President/CEO Mark Shapiro discusses the team’s first weekend, and the work being done on Sahlen Field in Buffalo ahead of the Blue Jays’ first game there on August 11th. We delve into the Blue Jays’ first weekend of the season, what to do with the bullpen, and the next extra innings rule. Swings & Mishes host Craig Mish discusses the Miami Marlins’ COVID-19 outbreak.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ President/CEO joins Jeff and Kevin to discuss the team’s opening weekend in Tampa Bay, the work still to be done in Buffalo ahead of the team’s first game there on August 11th, and the potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Miami Marlins.

Jeff and Kevin host. We discuss the possibility of the Blue Jays playing their home games in Pittsburgh this season . . . until reports start surfacing that it might not be happening. The LA Times’ Dylan Hernandez discusses Mookie Betts’ reported contract extension with the Dodgers. We ask Kevin Barker about the Jays’ infield of the future, and he’s predicting a big acquisition by the team.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker host. We discuss our expectations for the 2020 Blue Jays. Blue Jays SP Matt Shoemaker joins us from Boston to discuss the uncertainty as to where the team will be playing this year, his hopes for the season, and his impressions of teammates Hyun-Jin Ryu and Nate Pearson thus far. MLB Network’s Cliff Floyd on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s move across the diamond. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker host. We discuss the Blue Jays’ uncertainty in regards to where they’ll be playing home games this season. Blue Jays radio play-by-play voice Ben Wagner discusses the team’s current situation and outlook for the season, and the possibility of Buffalo’s Sahlen Field as a home stadium. We discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s transition to first base, and the potential of his bat in 2020.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker take your calls during the last Baseball Central of the season, and discuss how the MLB playoff picture is looking, who the Blue Jays should add in the off-season, what the payroll will look like next year without any new additions, why it won’t be easy to add top-end pitchers, whether they’ll bring in a first baseman, whether the team will have any difficulty in bringing marquee free agents to Toronto, and World Series favourites amongst other things.

Jeff Blair & Kevin Barker discuss Milwaukee heading to the playoffs, how hardworking the Brewers are, and Jose Ramirez’s return; on Rowdy’s Tellez’s big night for the Blue Jays, Jacob Waguespack’s outing, and the shift; on the possibility of Joe Maddon joining the Angels, and the managerial openings around the league; Indians radio voice Jim Rosenhaus on Ramirez’s successful return to the lineup, the biggest challenge for the team vs. the Nationals, how important Terry Francona is to the team’s success, whether Shane Bieber will make a start this weekend, and the Twins’ clinching the AL Central title; on the importance of the Jays fielding their best team Saturday, and the Wild Card races around the league.

Jeff Blair and Chris Leroux discuss what it’s like to be in a bullpen at this point of a season, how they would assess Vlad Jr.’s season, the state of the Blue Jays’ rotation, when they may contend, the organization’s subpar scouting and acquiring of quality pitchers; St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold on how it all came together for the Cardinals, Paul Goldschmidt’s season, and what Mike Shildt brings to the table.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss Anthony Alford’s walk-off homer, his lack of playing time, Cleveland activating Jose Ramzirez, what the Blue Jays have in Jordan Romano, and why they should consider keeping Ken Giles around; the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales on what went wrong with the Cubs, the team’s lack of pitching depth and prospects, who’s to blame, and whether Kris Bryant has to be a Cub forever; on who the NL Manager of the Year should be, and the misunderstanding of Vlad Jr’s weightlifting comments.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss the firing of Andy Green, Ned Yost’s retirement, the Wild Card and pennant races, how the Yankees look as the playoffs approach, Bill McKinney hitting 10 homers, which Blue Jays player has the best two-strike approach, Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s comments on never having lifted weights before, and why there’s no issue with having him start the next season as the team’s first baseman; Luis Rivera, Blue Jays third base coach, on Vlad Jr.’s growth at third base, how Bo Bichette at shortstop has benefited Vlad Jr, the shift, and Cavan Biggio’s improvement defensively.