In their first podcast of the off-season, Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss the Blue Jays ahead of the Winter meetings in Nashville; notably their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani. How realistic are Toronto’s chances at signing the phenom in free agency? Later on, Jeff and Kevin chat with Hall of Famer & FOX Sports analyst David Ortiz about his charitable endeavours, what players look for in free-agency other than the money, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 2023 season, and how he views Vlad Jr. as a hitter going forward (30:44).

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.

The Off-Season of Ohtani + ‘Big Papi’ David Ortiz

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker talk all things Blue Jays and MLB. Airing live on Sportsnet 590 The FAN weekdays from 2-4 ET during the baseball season.

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Blake Murphy and Kevin Barker open up the Back Leg Line, before being joined by MLB Network Radio and Apple TV’s Ryan Spilborghs ahead of Blue Jays-Rays weekend series (17:14). Rays TV analyst Brian Anderson dives deeper into the series providing a scouting report on Tampa’s pitchers, notably Friday’s starter Tyler Alexander (31:40). Blue Jays manager John Schneider makes his weekly appearance on the show to discuss tonight’s lineup and the decision to start Chris Bassitt tonight (50:05). ESPN’s Jesse Rogers discusses Pirates’ rookie Paul Skenes’ electric second major-league start against the Cubs and his recent story on load management in MLB (01:13:39).

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.

Jays-Rays Preview + Happy Paul Skenes Day

Blue Jays manager John Schneider joins Kevin Barker and Blake Murphy to discuss the decision to matchup Chris Bassitt to start the series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the positive and negative effects of extra days rest between pitcher's starts, Alek Manoah's improvements on the mound, what has made Yimi Garcia successful coming out of the bullpen, and why he's not worried about his offence.

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.

Mound Success & Offensive Turnaround with John Schneider

Blair and Barker look back on the Blue Jays' 3-2 loss to the Orioles and discuss the back end of the bullpen; notably how good Yimi Garcia has been all season long. Sportsnet’s Caleb Joseph calls up the guys with his recent thoughts on Toronto’s play ahead of their weekend series against the Rays (25:50). Current Rays and former Blue Jays hitting coach Chad Mottola talks about his role with Tampa, why great hitters aren’t necessarily the best hitting coaches, pitchers “stuff” nowadays getting better and better, and Yandy Diaz’s improvement as a player (50:00). Sean Casey, former Yankees hitting coach and host of The Mayor’s Office, joins the guys to talk about life in the minor leagues, if hitters can be given too much data, and how to approach players about moving down in the lineup when they’re struggling (01:15:58).

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.

Minor League Reminiscing with The Mayor

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap Toronto’s 3-2 extra innings victory over the Orioles, notably Daulton Varsho getting it done offensively and defensively. The guys also react to Corbin Burnes’ post-game comments on Toronto’s hitters crediting them for making him work during his start. Orioles Bench Coach Fredi Gonzalez joins the show to discuss the influx of young talent joining the O’s at the same time and how they compare to other hitters he’s coached such as Freddie Freeman when he managed in Atlanta (28:00). USA Today’s Bob Nightengale discusses the  rumoured interest in Jordan Romano league-wide and predicts what the market for both he and Yusei Kikuchi would fetch if the Blue Jays become sellers at the deadline (49:45). To end the show, ESPN’s Jeff Passan does a deep-dive on the bat-tracking data released by MLB and shares his takeaways with Jeff and Kevin (01:16:10).

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.

A Comeback at Camden Yards

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the Blue Jays’ weekend series against the Twins; notably Alek Manoah’s performance in the finale, George Springer in the lead-off spot, and Vladimir Guerrero’s recent success at the dish. MLB Network Radio’s Jim Duquette comments on if the Orioles will part with young talent to further improve their major league roster, why Toronto needs to sign at least one of Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, and his read on the Yankees and their ability to sign Juan Soto (27:23). Ahead of Jays-Orioles, former Baltimore GM (and Jim’s cousin) Dan Duquette discusses the Orioles’ trajectory as an organization, how front offices decide who to commit to long-term, and pivoting in-season as a GM when your team is playing below expectations (49:52). To end the show, Sportsnet’s Buck Martinez checks-in from Camden Yards to preview tonight’s pitching matchup between José Berríos and Corbin Burnes (01:21:03).

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.

The Off-Season of Ohtani + ‘Big Papi’ David Ortiz

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