Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by former MLB executive David Samson (1:23) to review the past week of All-Star activities. He gets into the diminishing allure of the Home Run Derby, its lack of star power and whether it needs a fix. Then, getting back into the swing of the season, he shares a front office's POV of what to look for coming out of the All-Star break, his expectations for the Jays' second half and more around MLB. To close, Jeff and Kevin answer your questions on the Back Leg Line!

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 return from the All-Star break ready to look ahead to the unofficial second half of the MLB season! They are joined off the top by Blue Jays manager John Schneider (4:30), who provides a few roster updates and discusses Joey Votto inching closer to his Blue Jays debut as he plays this weekend in Triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons. Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Matt Stairs (25:53) catches up with the guys to talk some hitting with Barker, this weekend’s WCBL All-Star Game and just how widespread baseball is in Canada from coast-to-coast. 

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 are joined by Blue Jays manager John Schneider (1:12) for his weekly chat to discuss the difficulties of telling players they've been place on waivers with the news that the team placed Kevin Kiermaier on waivers yesterday. Then, the skipper shares his takeaways from the team's series against the Giants, Bassitt and Gausman's forms heading into the break, Spencer Horwitz's path to everyday play and what he is looking to see from Zach Pop and Trevor Richards at this stage of the season. To wrap up the show, Blair and Barker take some calls from the Back-Leg Line (27:13).

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 the Blue Jays' series win over the San Francisco Giants, discuss the team placing Kevin Kiermaier on waivers, the best place to slot Spencer Horwitz in the lineup and how his in-game awareness has improved. Then, former Blue Jay and current Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk (27:43) stops by to chat about what impressed him the most about his current baseball club prior to signing with them, adjusting to playing under different managers, the art of being a pinch-hitter when called upon and dealing with the uncertainty of his playing time from team to 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 Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker welcome in World Series champion and Giants analyst Hunter Pence (1:42) to give his take on the identity of the San Francisco Giants this season, the difficulties to get an offence going at Oracle Park, Heliot Ramos' path to becoming an MLB All-Star and what the Blue Jays can expect facing Jordan Hicks. Blair and Barker then look at their first impressions of Matt Chapman playing in the Bay Area and the offseason fallout between the third baseman and Toronto. Afterwards, ESPN's Jeff Passan (27:57) shares his thoughts on why Paul Skenes should start in the MLB All-Star game, which teams in the AL East will be buying at the trade deadline and why a move from an NL team won't shake up the post-season picture.

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 are joined by Blue Jays TV voice Dan Shulman (3:15) to chat about the steps for Spencer Horwitz to become an everyday player, why Daulton Varsho could be the team's future centre fielder, Chad Green's trade value and his first impressions of Leo Jiménez. Then, Blair and Barker share their thoughts on Tim Mayza signing with the New York Yankees on a minor-league deal. Afterwards, Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker (26:25) stops by to discuss the factors of a successful outing from Yusei Kikuchi, the changes Yariel Rodriguez made to his pitch mix, when he knows it's time to talk to his pitchers on adjusting their approach and his relationship with Chris Bassitt and how he's grown as a starter. 

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 Athletic's San Francisco Giants reporter Andrew Baggarly (1:19) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to discuss what he'll remember the most from the late Willie Mays, how the Giants have underperformed to their expectations, Matt Chapman's tenure in the Bay Area, if Blake Snell will be moved at the trade deadline and the team's interest in Juan Soto in free agency. Then, Blair & Barker debate the National League selections for All-Star pitchers - including Paul Skenes - and preview the Blue Jays' upcoming series against the Giants.

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.

Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi (2:15) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the expectations for both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to play for the Blue Jays in 2025, the organization staying competitive beyond next season and if Alejandro Kirk can become the team's everyday catcher. Then, Coach and Director of National Teams at Baseball Canada Greg Hamilton (28:41) jumps on to discuss some of the Canadian prospects entering the 2024 MLB Draft, the evolution of the draft process, baseball's accessibility outside the major cities across Canada and Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor's all-star 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.

Blue Jays Central's Caleb Joseph joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker after the Blue Jays' series win in Seattle this weekend to discuss whether Springer's strong return to the lead-off spot is sustainable, Bichette's slump and the relationship between hitting coaches and players (3:32). Then, he evaluates the bullpen's series against a meagre Mariners' offence. MLB Network's Jon Morosi (30:01) looks at different teams' trade deadline plans - the Yankees' biggest needs, why the Red Sox should stand pat, how the Rangers' direction can shift the Jays' trade markets for Bo & Vlad and why the Orioles should go all-in this 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. 

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker return from the weekend outlining the positives from the Blue Jays series win in Seattle: Yariel Rodriguez’s impressive start, George Springer continuing his hot stretch, and Alejandro Kirk looking more comfortable at the dish. With this year’s Hall of Fame inductions approaching, the guys call up The Athletic’s Jayson Stark (28:25) to talk about which current players are on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and how voters will look at members of the Houston Astros who were implicated in the organization’s cheating scandal. 

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.