Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

The Blue Jays introduced Anthony Santander, their first major offensive acquisition in four years, and we bring you clips of his media availability and interpret Ross Atkins' attempts to sidestep criticism for the Roki Sasaki debacle and the Jays' failure (so far) to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a contract extension. We examine the Cooperstown Class of 2025, as well as those who fell just short in the voting, and talk to Ayami Sato, the greatest female baseball player of the modern era, who will become the first woman to play pro ball for a Canadian team when she suits up for the Intercounty Maple Leafs this summer.

Only days after the Roki Sasaki debacle, the Blue Jays finally added a significant power bat, the first time they've done such a thing in four years. Anthony Santander, a switch-hitter who clubbed 44 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles last season, got a five-year deal worth a reported $92.5 million to come to Toronto, and his slugging stylings are desperately needed for a team that finished 26th in the majors in home runs last season.

The addition of Santander bolsters a lineup that only had one hitter with as many as 20 home runs last year, and was definitely a significant enough move to warrant a special bonus episode. Finally, some good Blue Jays news.

There's no shame in making an aggressive attempt to sign a coveted free agent but falling short, and the Blue Jays have done that several times over the past few years, whether it was with superduperstars Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto or mere mortals like Corbin Burnes, Justin Verlander and Xander Bogaerts, but the way the Jays mismanaged the pursuit of Roki Sasaki required a special episode of Deep Left Field.

Not only did the Jays miss out on the 23-year-old Japanese phenom, who pings the radar gun at 102 mph, they quite literally threw away $11 million (U.S.) in doing so. This one wasn't disappointing, it was infuriating.

Guests: Blue Jays reliever Jeff Hoffman, Canadian Women's National Team shortstop Mia Valcke

The Blue Jays re-introduced Jeff Hoffman to the Toronto media this week, bringing the right-hander back as a free agent 11 years after drafting him and 10 years after trading him to Colorado in the Troy Tulowitzki deal. We bring you highlights of the conversation with Hoffman, including his comments about failed physicals with Baltimore and Atlanta and whether he will be the Jays' closer in 2025. Also, the Baseball Canada Ashley Stephenson Award winner, Mia Valcke, joins us to talk about her move from the outfield to shortstop in order to help Team Canada reach the podium at the 2024 World Cup. Plus thoughts on the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes and the ballot for the Cooperstown class of 2025.

Guests: Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah, former Blue Jays beat reporter Kaitlyn McGrath

Our first episode of 2025 brings a check-in and a farewell. Alek Manoah, rehabbing from mid-June Tommy John surgery, joins us to give an update on the state of his elbow and the timeline for his late-season return. He also shares his thoughts about the Jays' slow off-season to this point and the lack of a contract extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Also, departing Jays' reporter Kaitlyn McGrath, late of The Athletic, shares her memories and stories of being on the beat through the team's rise in the early part of the decade and recent fall.

Guests: Second City alumni Sandy Jobin-Bevans and Pat Smith, Actor/Director Stu Stone

2024 was a rough year for the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans, and the way this off-season has gone so far, it doesn't seem as though 2025 is going to be much better. For our final episode of the year, we convene a roundtable of Canadian stars of stage and screen, in front of and behind the camera, to discuss where the Jays stand as the calendar flips and what it means that the fanbase seems to have completely lost faith in the ability of the front office to get the team back on track.

Guests: Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm, Sports Info Solutions Mark Simon

The Blue Jays had their busiest Winter Meetings in years: making a trade, signing a free agent and grabbing a pitcher in the Rule 5 draft. Gregor Chisholm joins us to discuss all the Jays' doings in Dallas, and whether it's the right move to continue to drill down on run prevention at the expense of run creation. They made the best defence in MLB even better by picking up Andres Gimenez, but did they make a below-average offence worse? And we drill down on Gimenez – the best defensive infielder in the game – with Fielding Bible guru Mark Simon.

Guests: Jack Graney Award winner, legendary Toronto Star columnist Dave Perkins; Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Matt Hague

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame has handed out its annual media award, and we've got this year's winner, Dave Perkins, to talk about his extraordinary career covering baseball for three decades for the Toronto Star. Matt Hague joins us as well, to talk about his year as the Blue Jays' assistant hitting coach, his decision to leave for Pittsburgh and how much of an effect coaches can actually have at the big-league level.