Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

Guests: Blue Jays top prospect Trey Yesavage, Gold Glove centrefielder Daulton Varsho, rehabbing Jays starter Alek Manoah

This week in Deep Left Field, we head down to the farm and talk to right-hander Trey Yesavage, the Jays' first-round pick last July, as he prepares to make his debut with the Buffalo Bisons - the fourth team in the Jays' system for which he has suited up in this, his first season in pro ball. The 22-year-old has allowed just 45 hits and notched a whopping 134 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings this year at Dunedin, Vancouver and New Hampshire combined. He'll start for the Bisons on August 14 and the big leagues will be the next stop. That final promotion could very well come as soon as next month.

We also chat with Alek Manoah following a disappointing rehab outing in Buffalo. The former all-star and Cy Young finalist is recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery and in the first Triple-A start in his rehab assignment, lasted just an inning and two-thirds.

Also, Daulton Varsho joins us to talk about watching from the sidelines as the Jays built the best record in the American League and then picking up right where he left off, power-wise, when he rejoined them.

The Blue Jays spent the weekend in Los Angeles almost getting swept by the defending World Series champions and the drama was so far through the roof that a bonus episode of Deep Left Field was required so we could all process it.

From the high of a club-record 45 runs scored over three games in Colorado to just two runs combined in the first two games at Dodger Stadium and just two more through the first seven innings of the series finale, questions were starting to pop up about the Jays, despite them having the American League's best record.

A Sunday loss would leave them with only five wins in their last 14 games - three of them against the worst team in the game. Was the air starting to come out of the balloon? Was the Jays' record a mirage? Can we actually not have nice things in Toronto?

Home runs by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger gave the Jays a late lead, but closer Jeff Hoffman gave it right back with a bases loaded walk, then walked three more in the ninth after Ernie Clement went deep to give the Jays yet another lead.

Mason Fluharty, the youngest pitcher on the staff, had to bail Hoffman out, and did he ever.

We go through all of it for you here in Deep Left Field - what happened, what it means, and who does what going forward as the Jays move into the final 43 games of the season.

Guests: Blue Jays rehabbing pitcher Shane Bieber, Buffalo Bisons catcher Brandon Valenzuela

Two of the Blue Jays' trade deadline acquisitions have yet to make their debuts with the big club, and you'll meet them both this week in Deep Left Field!

Shane Bieber spoke after his first rehab start in Buffalo, in which he threw five innings against the Syracuse Mets, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts. You'll hear his comments about how he felt, the whirlwind that sent him from Cleveland to Toronto to Buffalo in three days and what he thought of becoming a Blue Jay.

Brandon Valenzuela was acquired in a head-shaking trade with the San Diego Padres, straight up for Will Wagner. The 24-year-old catcher made his organizational debut, catching Bieber in that rehab game, and we caught up with him afterward. The Mexican native discussed meeting Alejandro Kirk, catching Bieber - he said he's never seen anything like it - and the unexpected trade that put him on the road to a potential big-league debut in Toronto.

You'll also hear all about the overwhelming, record-setting series sweep in Colorado as well as a short treatise on run differential, since the Jays added 39 runs to it this week!

The trade deadline has passed and the Blue Jays made a deal right up against the clock, picking up big-armed back-end reliever Louis Varland from the Minnesota Twins to help bolster their bullpen, at the cost of prospect pitcher Kendry Morales and young, promising outfielder Alan Roden. They also got Ty France in that trade, for some reason. I'm joined by my Toronto Star colleague Gregor Chisholm to go over the Jays' moves at the deadline, including the surprise acquisition of two-time all-star and perennial (when healthy) Cy Young candidate Shane Bieber as well as reliever Seranthony Dominguez and the trade of Will Wagner to San Diego for minor-league catching depth. As well, we'll go over all the moves made by the Jays' rivals and see how they stack up as August begins with Toronto in first place overall in the American League and holding a 3 ½ game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East. All that, plus your comments and questions as well!

Guest: Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt They added to their bullpen Tuesday by acquiring Seranthony Dominguez from Baltimore, but a dozen more trades were made across the majors on Wednesday and the Jays weren't involved. Big Toronto targets Jhoan Duran and Ryan Helsley, a couple of huge relief arms, and slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez all came off the board, going to Philadelphia, the New York Mets and Seattle, respectively. Who's left for the Jays to pick up on the last day? We go over that list for you, as well as examine the trades that were made to see if the Jays could have made more compelling offers. Also, Jays' starter Chris Bassitt joins us to talk about the keys to the team's success so far this season and his influence on how the players are handled.

Guest: Blue Jays Associate Manager DeMarlo Hale The Blue Jays got swept in their Tuesday doubleheader in Baltimore and they've lost four in a row, but they've still got the best record in the American League and a four-game lead in the AL East. There is, quite literally, no need to panic. Between games of the double-dip, they made their first deal of Trade Deadline Week, acquiring big-armed reliever Seranthony Dominguez from the Orioles - he suited up for the O's in the opener and pitched for the Jays in the nightcap - but they're going to need to do some dealing over the next couple of days to plug the holes that are starting to pop open. The ugly 16-4 loss in Tuesday's first game got the Jays to the two-thirds mark of the season, and when that happens, we go to associate manager DeMarlo Hale for a check-in, as we do after every third of every season. He offers his insight as to what's going on with a team that, when we spoke before Sunday's game in Detroit, had won an astonishing 21 of 26 games. Now it's 21 of 30.

Guest: Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido With the Blue Jays holding first place overall in Major League Baseball and the trade deadline coming up on July 31, Deep Left Field is going daily for Trade Deadline Week! Today, we're joined by Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido, who was traded at last year's deadline in the Yusei Kikuchi deal, coming to Toronto along with Will Wagner and Jake Bloss, to discuss the difference between last year and this year. From his perspective, there doesn't seem to be much. We also look at the Jays loss in Baltimore on Monday, how George Springer's injury might affect the Jays' deadline strategy, Emmanuel Clase coming off the board because of a gambling investigation and more!

Guest: Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Schneider

The Blue Jays continued to extend their lead in the AL East this weekend by taking three of four from the Detroit Tigers, in Detroit. With the best record in Major League Baseball and the MLB trade deadline coming July 31, Deep Left Field is going to have updates every day throughout. We'll start this Trade Deadline Week with our conversation with Jays skipper John Schneider.

Guests: Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, former Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion, New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay The Blue Jays came out of the all-star break and picked up right where they left off, sweeping the San Francisco Giants then taking two of three from the Yankees as part of a 5-1 homestand. This week in Deep Left Field, we sit down with Kevin Gausman, who threw seven brilliant innings in Monday night's win over the Yankees, to discuss the first-place Jays, who moved into a tie with the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League with their win on Wednesday. That Wednesday win was the seventh straight sellout at Rogers Centre, and Jays fans are becoming a big part of the story. Edwin Encarnacion remembers what it was like at the dome when the Jays were rolling in 2015 and 2016, and he joins us to compare those teams and those atmospheres to this one. Also, Yankees television broadcaster Michael Kay created a firestorm with his comments about the Jays not being a first-place team and not even playing that well on his radio show a few weeks ago. We gave him a chance to clarify, apologize or double down - join us to see which route he chose.

Guests: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee of Kim's Convenience and The Mandalorian, Second City Veteran/TV Writer Pat Smith This week in Deep Left FIeld, we get you set for the unofficial second half of the baseball season which, for the first time in over three decades, will begin with the Blue Jays in first place. We present a round table (maybe triangle) with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Pat Smith to discuss the feelings around this first-half surge, what to hope for - and what to actually expect - at the trade deadline, how much credit to give to Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, the very unVladdylike first half of the season of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and much more!