Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker get set for the Blue Jays' pivotal series against the Cleveland Guardians. To help, Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker stops by (8:21) to discuss the plan for recently called up prospect Ricky Tiedemann, what he's learned from Spencer Miles' rookie season, early returns from Spencer Arrighetti, what's behind Dylan Cease's dip in velocity, and how José Soriano has adapted with the Jays' process. Later, Blue Jays legend Carlos Delgado joins the show (28:45) to discuss the Jays' Wild Card push, what we need to see from Vladdy Jr. down the stretch, and what it means to be recognized on the Level of Excellence.

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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The Athletic's Jayson Stark (1:11) joins Blair and Barker to chat about why the Los Angeles Dodgers could be vulnerable this season, his research into why Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has yet to hit a home run at home this season, Max Scherzer turning back the clock in his recent outing against the Seattle Mariners, Yankees and Red Sox rivalry renewed, and the state of the AL Wild Card race. Then, Jeff and Kevin head to the Back Leg Line to get listener's reactions to the Blue Jays sweeping the Mariners over the weekend.

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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On the off-day edition, Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look back on the Blue Jays' weekend sweep over the Seattle Mariners, including Max Scherzer turning back the clock in the series finale. MLB Network analyst and former MLB pitcher Dan Plesac joins the show (7:10) to discuss the wild AL Wild Card race, Scherzer's dominant outing, how the Jays can get the best out of José Soriano, the difficulty of staying focused in the final stretch of a season, and why the White Sox will hold on to the top spot in the AL Central. Later, Jeff and Kevin discuss which players will be called up as rosters expand starting September 1, the Jays passing on recently waived power bats Eugenio Suárez and Luis Robert Jr., and what to expect from the Jays' critical upcoming road trip in Cleveland, Kansas City, and Sacramento.

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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Blair and Barker are joined by Ryan Divish (2:20) of The Seattle Times to chat about the Mariners' season, Cal Raleigh's down offensive year, why Julio Rodríguez can't find consistency, why lefty starter Kade Anderson stands out from the rest, how the team can collectively fix their offence, and the worst case scenario with the future of the roster and management if the team doesn't make the postseason. Then guys head to the Back Leg Line to hear from Blue Jays fans ahead of their three-game series against the visiting Mariners for the first time since the ALCS. Afterwards, Jeff Blair remembers the late Jacques Doucet who called Montreal Expos games. To wrap up the show, Blue Jays play-by-play TV voice Dan Shulman (30:42) joins the guys to discuss his former broadcast partner Buck Martinez getting inducted into the Jays' Hall of Excellence, getting the job and working with Buck for the first time, if there was a moment when he knew the chemistry was there, how Buck transitioned from being a player, manager and then broadcaster, and his proudest moment with Buck. 

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' 13-2 unravelling to the Kansas City Royals to drop the series. They discuss why Spencer Arrighetti's pitch sequencing is limiting his success, the importance of the Jays' next series against the Mariners, and what they need to see from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. down the final stretch of the season. Later, Blue Jays manager John Schneider (29:14) shares how the team has been managing a recent rough stretch, how Vladdy handled the boos at Rogers Centre, how they can get the most out of Arrighetti this season, and whether a series against rival Mariners can help get them going.

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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Blair and Barker are joined by Blue Jays TV analyst and former MLB catcher Joe Siddall (6:05) to chat about the team signing recently DFA'd pitcher Michael Lorenzen, how Spencer Arrighetti can attack the zone, if the Jays can find success with one approach on offence, Eugenio Suárez clearing waivers and whether he would've fit with Toronto, building Brett Bateman into an everyday player, and Louis Varland's changeup. Then, ESPN's and host of Sources Tell Jeff Passan joins Jeff and Kevin (25:35) to discuss the MLB's proposal to shrinking the free agency window in December, who this benefits, and who is the best team to come out of the AL Wild Card. 

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' win over the Kansas City Royals to tie the series at a game apiece. They discuss the postgame Gatorade incident, the bullpen's shutout, and Nathan Lukes' homer. Then, they react to the Blue Jays signing recently DFA'd pitcher Michael Lorenzen and passing on Eugenio Suárez. Later, former MLB All-Star Bret Boone joins the show (28:52) to reflect on what's gone wrong for the Mariners, the pressure of playing under a big contract, Cal Raleigh's recent turnaround, and potential consequences in Seattle if they miss the postseason cut.

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 head to Rogers Centre to hear from Blue Jays' manager John Schneider ahead of their second game against the Kansas City Royals before bringing on radio play-by-play voice Ben Shulman (10:26) to discuss how the series opener ended with Nathan Lukes getting thrown out at second base, Jesús Sánchez returning to play left-field, having both George Springer and Alejandro Kirk's day off scheduled on the same day, and why Vlad Jr. is still having a strong year on the defensive end. Then the guys share a fun activity for all Jays fans to replicate Buck Martinez's iconic home run calls outside of Rogers Centre before having his former teammate, Hall of Fame third baseman and VP of Baseball Operations with the Royals, George Brett (29:00) to chat about their off-field friendship, transitioning and having success as a player to managing to becoming a broadcaster, the amount of advice Buck would give him, his ability to catch and call a game, the differences in the game over the years and what Bobby Witt Jr. has brought to KC. 

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 Toronto Blue Jays' series-opening loss to the Kansas City Royals. They discuss the Jays's standing in the Wild Card race as they fell three games back with four teams ahead, the team's play since Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s return to the lineup, the decision to sub Alejandro Kirk and George Springer in mid game, Max Scherzer's start, and the lineup's struggles with runners in scoring position. Later, MLB Network analyst and former MLB GM Dan O'Dowd (25:32) stops by to share how a front office should approach a struggling superstar like Vladdy, the Jays' resilience in 2026, why the Cubs pose the biggest threat to the Dodgers in the NL, why Kyle Tucker has been the most disappointing player in MLB this season, and Brewers manager benching Cooper Pratt for not running hard out of the box.

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.

MLB Insider and Blue Jays reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith (1:16) joins Jeff and Kevin to chat about Alejandro Kirk and George Springer's status after being left off the opening lineup against the visiting Kansas City Royals, what Brett Bateman has brought to the club, if the front office will consider dipping into the current free agent market to find a 5th starter while Shane Bieber is on the IL, where Brendon Little sits in the 'circle of trust', why Ben would be worried about Seattle and Cleveland sneaking into the Wild Card, and who is the second-most important bat in the lineup outside of Vlad Jr. Then, Blue Jays legend Buck Martinez (30:53) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to discuss how retirement has been going, the amount of baseball and Blue Jays games he's been tuning in, if he envisioned returning to the sport after his playing days, how much has he reflected on the best moments from playing, managing and broadcasting, and how the team can support Vladdy during and after a down offensive year. 

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.