Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin their deadline day coverage with reactions to another Jays-Cardinals trade - this time for Paul DeJong - what the shortstop can bring to the team, what it says about Bo Bichette's health and what a potential follow-up move might consist of. Then, a quick look at some of the bigger moves around the league before they dive into the Jays' series-opening loss against the Orioles last night, whether George Springer's inactivity was a scheduled day off or if he was benched and what to expect from Hyun-jin Ryu's return to the big leagues tonight. Later, Dan Shulman weighs in on the DeJong trade, further insight into Bo's injury status and who the Jays should key in on in the final hour of deadline day (26:54).

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 kicks off the second hour with Cardinals reporter Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, who breaks down the behind-the-scenes negotiations between St. Louis and the Blue Jays for Jordan Hicks, what to expect out of the Jays' newly acquired reliever and what’s next for a busy Cardinals team (6:48). Then, the latest in the division with this week's 'In The East' (16:52). Finally, Ben Wagner joins the show from the Rogers Centre to tee up a crucial series between the Jays and Orioles, an already dried up trade market for position players and where Hicks will fit within the Jays' bullpen when Jordan Romano returns from the IL (27:53).

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 begins the show by sharing his reaction to the Blue Jays trading for St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Hicks. The Athletic's Jayson Stark (7:32) jumps on to explain why the fielders' market hasn't fired up ahead of the trade deadline compared to pitchers, the lack of super teams across the MLB, his thoughts on Toronto's newest bullpen member, and why the Baltimore Orioles could be a sleeper team a day before the deadline. Then, former Orioles and Blue Jays shortstop and hose of Baltimore Baseball Tonight Mike Bordick (32:43) weighs in on how the O's will approach the trade market, if they'll be buying, the organization's road map to building a successful team around their young players and witnessing Gunnar Henderson's breakout 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 Manager John Schneider (6:23) discusses the importance of the Blue Jays upcoming series, sorting out the starting rotation with Hyun Jin Ryu close to a return, and George Springer’s recent slump at the plate. Following Schneider, Jeff and Kevin discuss Miles Mikolas being thrown out of Thursday’s game against the Cubs and how the situation was handled by the umpiring crew. To end off the week, the guys go to the ‘Back Leg Line’ (25:18) to answer questions on the batting order, Ryu’s impending return, and if we could see a current Jays starter moved to the pen later in the year or the postseason.

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 discussing the Blue Jays lineup changes including moving George Springer down to hitting fifth and Whit Merrifield leading off to start their series against the Angels. The guys bring MLB Network's Jon Morosi (10:37) into the conversation giving his thoughts on Toronto's changes, moves within the trade market ahead of the deadline, the direction of the White Sox organization, and which team in the AL East will need to add to their roster. Then, former pitcher and Friday Night Baseball's Dan Plesac (31:15) shares his experience days before a trade deadline, Lucas Giolito's scouting report, if teams can flip the switch and get better with RISP, and the impact of a 6-man starting rotation.

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.

Intentional Talk’s Ryan Dempster (3:28) discusses Shohei Ohtani’s complete game, adding talent at the deadline even when players aren’t having great seasons, and how players deal with post-trade pressure when they know they’re being acquired by a team with expectations. Canadian baseball coach and scout Ken Lenihan (28:03) talks about how floods have affected the baseball-playing communities in Nova Scotia for a few minutes before Blair and Barker solicit a few 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 discuss the latest trade talk around MLB, notably the Angels announcing that Shohei Ohtani will not be traded before the deadline and Carlos Santana going to the Brewers. Later on, they revisit the Blue Jays west-coast trip before looking ahead to their upcoming homestand. Longtime MLB broadcaster and host of the “Angels Win” podcast, Victor Rojas (31:37) discusses Ohtani staying put, his impact on the Angels (on a day he pitched a complete game), and the team acquiring Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to make a run for the postseason.

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.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand breaks down the players he thinks are most likely to be dealt ahead of the deadline and the Yankees’ hitting woes with Aaron Judge absent from the lineup. Dodgers analyst (and former Angels broadcaster) José Mota provides a scouting report on Julio Urias as he gets ready to face the Blue Jays before talking about Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman as a dream 1-2 atop L.A.’s batting order, and if Shohei Ohtani will still be an Angel on August 2nd (26:44).

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 6-3 win over the Dodgers and discuss the team’s position ahead of the trade deadline. Notably, they talk about Jeff Passan’s reporting on the Blue Jays who suggests that they are in the “muddled middle” of the American league and who they could be targeting to add to the club. Sportsnet’s Buck Martinez comments on the Jays taking game one at Dodger Stadium, particularly Daulton Varsho’s clutch at-bat and how he can maintain momentum in the batter’s box (26:51).

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.

2003 NL Cy Young Winner and Dodgers legend Eric Gagné reflects on his career, the 2023 edition of the Dodgers, pitching high-leverage innings in the postseason, his epic showdown with Barry Bonds, and the amount of promising Canadian players in MLB. Jeff and Kevin examine potential trade targets for the Blue Jays with just over a week until the deadline before taking a call 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.