It began with an upbeat media session starring Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, describing the joyous October journey to World Series Game 7 and Shane Bieber's surprising decision to opt in for 2026. But the Jays task of defending the AL championship title does not get any easier, as Bo Bichette heads into his free agency, as Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt potentially leave the rotation and as Don Mattingly decides to step away from the dugout. What are the various scenarios for Bo moving forward? Will he stay or will he go? The epic Vlad October and its perception of his mega-extension are discussed as well as a potential spinoff, the possibility that the run to the Fall Classic has made it easier to recruit free agents in Asia, as well as North America. Is there a new MLB emphasis when it comes to hiring major-league managers and what are going to be the major stumbling blocks when it comes to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement? All this and more on this week's Exit Philosophy podcast.

INDEX:

0:00 - Intro 2:16 - Media avail for Shapiro and Atkins 8:41 - Contract extensions for Shapiro, Schneider and Atkins 12:09 - Departure of Don Mattingly 16:22 - Hall-of-Fame Veterans Committee 22:27 - Shane Bieber's surprise decision to opt in and what it means. 27:51 - Breaking down Blue Jays clubhouse chemistry and what it means to a winning team. 31:56 - Blue Jays' offseason search for more pitching 35:08 - The saga of Bo Bichette 48:22 - The real impact of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and his mega-contract 51:43 - World Series gives Jays new profile in Pacific Rim countries 54:23 - Rookie of the Year results and baseball getting younger 1:00:40 - New managerial hires don't be fit a formula. many outside the box 1:03:56 - MLB's gambling crisis 1:06:56 - NFL take by Mal on his Buffalo Bills

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

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For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/