Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair kicks off the show by recapping last night's win over the Baltimore Orioles, John Schneider’s decision-making, and being able to shut down Ryan Mountcastle. Next up, former MLB pitcher and Blue Jays radio colour analyst Chris Leroux joins the show to give his take on the Jays being better than the Orioles, and who is more trustworthy between Romano and Hicks. Finally, Blue Jays analyst Joe Siddall joins the show (25:32) to give his take on Daulton Varsho changing his approach, Bo Bichette’s amazing defensive play, and his thoughts on Yusei Kikuchi’s outing.

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.

Jeff Blair starts the second hour looking at the odd reports that Alek Manoah is still in Toronto despite being optioned over a week ago before turning to the Back Leg Line (11:14) for your calls! Afterwards, Jeff is joined by Sportsnaut Orioles reporter Dan Connolly (25:01), who discusses John Angelos’ comments about not committing to the young core, a financial outlook on the Orioles’ long-term plans and what the team’s playoff rotation might look like.

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.

Jeff Blair kicks off the show with a look into the Jays’ three-game series against the Orioles starting tonight and the importance of this series for both an on- and off-field boost. Jeff welcomes in MASN Orioles’ broadcaster Geoff Arnold (12:16), who shares his perspective on Ryan Mountcastle’s hold over the Jays and his recent scorching stretch, the biggest shock of the season and Grayson Rodriguez’s ceiling this year. Later, MLB Network insider Mark Feinsand weighs in on White Sox relocation rumours, Orioles owner John Angelo’s hesitancy to commit to his core and how to fix the problems with the Yankees (26:15).

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.

Jeff Blair kicks off the second hour with Blue Jays Central’s Caleb Joseph, who shares his thoughts on Bo Bichette’s comments about playing ‘fearless,’ a team-wide approach at the plate, John Schneider’s lineup management and the Jordan Hicks experience. Later, the latest ‘In the East’ as well as a look at some of teams pushing in the AL Wild Card race (29:01). Finally, New York Times’ Tyler Kepner weighs in on the turmoil for the New York Yankees, Orioles’ owner John Angelos’ hesitancy to commit to his core long-term and which player would be the priority to lock up with a long contract (37:32).

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.

Jeff Blair is solo hosting this week on Blair & Barker as Kevin is off. So JB takes you over the weekend where the Jays win the series in Cincinnati taking 2 out of 3 against the Reds and the offence seems to have come alive after getting shutout on Friday. Then The Athletic’s Jayson Stark joins Jeff to discuss the tightened division and wild card races across the American League. Finally, Jeff checks in with the BBWAA and Forbes’ own Maury Brown (28:05) who talks about increased attendance in MLB this season as well as gives his take on his team, the red-hot Seattle Mariners.

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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look ahead to the Blue Jays' weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds and discuss the help they’ll have on the way with Kevin Kiermaier and Trevor Richards being activated tonight and Bo Bichette making his return on Saturday. Reds Vice President & General Manager Nick Krall previews the series from a Cincy perspective and talks about his ballclub’s plethora of exciting players and baseball being rejuvenated in the city (14:02). Blue Jays Manager John Schneider makes his weekly appearance with the guys (51:22), and spoke about Bo Bichette’s imminent return, how the bullpen sets up with everyone healthy, Daulton Varsho’s recent success at the plate and Cavan Biggio’s play since the all-star break. 

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 former MLB pitcher Bronson Arroyo who reflects on his recent entry into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, how he prepared for seasons, the Reds' turnaround season and Cincinnati baseball's links to the city's music scene. Later, Astros' radio broadcaster Steve Sparks shares his thoughts on what Houston's ceiling is, his long-term expectations for Justin Verlander, Kyle Tucker continuing to rake and manager Dusty Baker's importance down the stretch (30:07). They close (44:37) with your calls 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 recap Toronto’s 9-4 loss against the Phillies, particularly Kevin Gausman’s outing and a crucial play not made between Santiago Espinal and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Later, Jeff and Kevin welcome MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis on the show to discuss his re-vamped farm system rankings: why the Blue Jays are at #25, the Orioles topping the list, and if the Yankees have anyone in the pipeline or if they will have to continue to outspend other organizations (27:30).

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 ESPN insider Jeff Passan, who shares his thoughts on what has been a disastrous season for the New York Yankees, how the Wander Franco situation complicates things further for the Rays on- and off-field and the idea of load management in baseball. They close with your calls 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 begin the show giving an update on Bo Bichette's DH day down with the Buffalo Bisons, the Blue Jays' series-opening win against the Philadelphia Phillies and the Wild Card races in the AL. Then, Bisons' manager Casey Candaele stops by (17:53) to share his firsthand assessment of Bo's rehab start, what the organization is looking for in both Chad Green's and Trevor Richards' outings and what stood out to him about Spencer Horwitz on and off the field. Afterward, Blue Jays TV play-by-play voice Dan Shulman joins the guys to discuss (34:59) if Green and Richards will have a major role out of John Schneider's bullpen, the case for Toronto's game 2 starter for the post-season following Kevin Gausman and if Whit Merrifield will be a priority for the front office to bring back next 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.