Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open the show discussing the Blue Jays' roster move sending Bo Bichette to the 10-day IL and calling up Joey Loperfido, expectations for the team moving forward without Bo for the final stretch of September, and the upcoming series opener against the Houston Astros. Then, host of Foul Territory and former MLB catcher Erik Kratz stops by to chat about stealing signs across the league and in particular during the New York Yankees-Blue Jays series finale, if the Jays can win the division without Bo in the lineup, Shane Bieber's outing coming off Tommy John, and if the Astros' consistent run into the post-season is nearing it's end. 

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 affiliate.

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New York Yankees reporter Pete Caldera joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the chances for the team to make up some ground for the top of the AL East before the end of the regular season, how Aaron Boone deploys Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton in the right field, narrowing down their circle of trust in the bullpen, Cody Bellinger's season, and Anthony Volpe's future at shortstop. Then, host of Nothing Personal with David Samson stops by to discuss the Yankees embracing the sign stealing, why fans shouldn't be worried about the Blue Jays dropping two out of three in New York, if the Houston Astros have 'championship DNA', Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers building towards that, having experienced managers towards October and if there's cap circumvention across major league sports. 

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 affiliate.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open the show with their thoughts from the Blue Jays' weekend series at Yankees Stadium, Max Scherzer's pitch tipping, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger picking up on it, how it's part of the game of baseball and how the Jays handled the situation. Then, Blair and Barker head to Back Leg Line to hear listener's calls on what they've learned from the series loss to the New York Yankees. 

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 affiliate.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Athletic's Jayson Starks joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about why it's a bigger series for the New York Yankees against the Blue Jays, Aaron Judge's return to the outfield, the BBWAA adding Relief Pitcher of the Year Award in 2026 for both the NL and AL, if the Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in the National League after taking two of three against the Milwaukee Brewers, if it takes a superstar to win a World Series, concerns with L.A. Dodgers' offence, and the Baltimore Orioles honouring Cal Ripken Jr. for his Ironman streak 30 years later. Then, Yankees' radio play-by-play voice Dave Sims stops by to discuss  the implications between the Jays and Bronx Bombers, what has gone wrong with their closer Devin Williams, and Cody Bellinger's impact on the lineup. 

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 affiliate.

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Blue Jays manager John Schneider joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about facing the New York Yankees as they close the gap to his team in the AL East, his expectations for his pitchers to attack the Bronx Bombers, how he'll utilize Jose Berrios nearing the end of the year, giving Max Scherzer an extra days rest, Brendon Little's pitches, Jeff Hoffman's workload, Addison Barger's recent stretch of at-bats, the status of Anthony Santander, calling up Braydon Fisher and Trey Yesavage's path to the big leagues. Then, Jeff and Kevin weigh in on Scherzer and Chris Bassitt flipping their starts in New York, if Max's back issues will be a bigger problem, Jose Berrios' slated to pitch against the Houston Astros and Taylor Trammell's bat being confiscated. 

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 affiliate.

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MLB Network's Jon Morosi (2:17) jumps on with Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about a messy 8th inning during the New York Yankees and Houston Astros game, if the Blue Jays pitchers can attack against the Yankees' hitters, Aaron Judge's future in the outfield, Bo Bichette's market value, and the chaotic race within the American League for a playoff spot. Then, MLB Hall of Famer and MLB on FOX analyst John Smoltz stops by (28:01) to discuss how difficult it is to be a closer vs. a starter nearing the postseason, playing on the road at Yankees Stadium, pitching coming out of Tommy John surgery, the playoff experience Max Scherzer brings to the pitching staff, and who is the best pitcher in baseball in 2025. 

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 13-9 comeback win over the Cincinnati Reds to close out the series. They debate who is the Jays' MVP this season between George Springer and Bo Bichette, break down Shane Bieber's mid-game adjustments, and share their confidence levels in the bullpen heading into their pivotal series against the Yankees. Then, they get into where Anthony Santander would slot in if he gets healthy. Later, ESPN's Tim Kurkjian (28:00) stops by to discuss the stakes of the Jays/Yanks weekend series, Springer's miraculous resurgence, Bichette's open-market value, and he ranks his top three teams in each league. Finally, Jeff and Kevin open up the Back Leg Line to take your calls and questions!

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.

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Blue Jays Central analyst Joe Siddall (0:20) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker in-studio to chat about the pitching incident between Houston Astros' starter Framber Valdez and his catcher César Salazar, what he expects from Shane Bieber in his third start since coming off the IL, how he views the Jays handling Jose Berrios' struggles against the Cincinnati Reds, Trey Yesavage's future in Buffalo, who will become Toronto's second hitter in the lineup in October, how Bo Bichette has controlled his 'aggressiveness' at the plate and Alejandro Kirk's season catching. Then, ESPN's Jeff Passan (27:44) stops by to give an early look at the Jays' weekend clash with AL East rivals New York Yankees, how the Yankees have climbed back into the standings behind Toronto, Boston Red Sox's Roman Anthony rookie year coming to a halt, why Bieber might not be far from becoming the Jays' number one pitcher and his view on Framber Valdez's seemingly intentionally pitching his catcher. 

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.

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Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 12-9 win over the Cincinnati Reds, the bullpen limiting the damage, Louis Varland figuring it out, and José Berríos's waning confidence on the mound. Then, they get into how George Springer's season impacts his legacy, Framber Valdez seemingly intentionally crossing up his catcher, and their expectations for Shane Bieber in his third start. Later, Adam Ottavino (28:35), former pitcher and host of Baseball and Coffee, stops by to give his take on the Valdez/Salazar incident, the Jays' pitching potential, what it takes to get back to form after Tommy John surgery, and Canadian pitcher Jonah Tong impressing early after his Mets call-up.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Blue Jays' TV analyst Buck Martinez (2:30) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about his expectations for Jose Berrios' start after coming off an extended rest, Shane Bieber's first two starts with the Jays, if Brendon Little can adjust to his pitches this late into the year, how he would catch Jeff Hoffman, why Addison Barger moving down in the lineup could benefit him, and Bo Bichette's consistent at-bats. Then, former MLB executive and host of "Roster to Rings" podcast Thad Levine joins the guys (28:00) to discuss Louis Varland's slow acclimation into the Blue Jays' system, if his can become a starter again, navigating call-ups during September for a playoff bound team, having the tough conversation and decision to send a veteran player to waivers, and how his role changed nearing the end of the regular season.

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.