Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss health updates on Blue Jays hurlers Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, and free-agent signing Yariel Rodriguez. Later they examine some of the roster battles in camp for pitchers like Mitch White and Bowden Francis, and talk about Ernie Clement’s hot Grapefruit League season and John Schneider’s praise for the infielder. With the Yankees facing Toronto, Jeff welcomes SNY reporter and author of The Yankee Way Andy Martino to discuss the latest on Gerrit Cole’s injury status after an MRI on his pitching elbow, Aaron Judge, and Brian Cashman’s tenure as Yankees GM (30:13). 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 is joined by our resident Dunedin correspondent, Kevin Barker, who is currently on site at the Blue Jays’ Spring Training complex in Florida. The guys discuss Joey Votto’s arrival at Jays camp, his chances of cracking the team’s Opening Day roster, Justin Turner’s potential usage at third base, the current state of the Blue Jays’ bullpen, and how the team will manage Votto’s playing time during the remainder of the spring. Later, Jayson Stark, MLB Insider for The Athletic, stops by (28:42) to chat about Gerrit Cole’s lingering elbow discomfort, the current free agent market for Blake Snell, and his latest piece on Joey Votto’s presence at Jays camp.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker get into the news that the Blue Jays have allegedly signed former Reds first baseman - and Canada's own - Joey Votto to a non-roster invite at Spring Training. They discuss what it means for the rest of the roster, including for Daniel Vogelbach - could the team bring in Votto over either Vogelbach or Eduardo Escobar? Who needs to go for Votto to make the roster? Plus, they debate his clubhouse presence, and what it could mean for a team that already has Bo Bichette and others in leadership positions. 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 John Schneider’s recent comments about the Blue Jays’ naysayers heading into 2024 and Kevin Kiermaier’s omission that he dealt with persistent foot issues last season. Then, the guys head to the Back Leg Line to field questions from the B&B audience! Later, ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan drops by (31:12) to chat about the genesis of MLB’s new Spring Breakout series, the potential fallout from this year’s slow-moving free agent market, the Blue Jays’ playoff chances in 2024, and his latest piece on Chris Sale’s quest for redemption with the Atlanta Braves.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss Jose Berrios following his latest Spring tune-up against the Pirates, can the Jays starter improve on his successful 2023 campaign? Later the guys are joined by Blue Jays Central analyst Joe Siddall (10:30) with his assessments from camp and who he thinks will crack Toronto’s opening-day roster once the season starts.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by 2015 American League MVP Josh Donaldson (13:33) after the slugger announced his retirement after 13 MLB seasons. Donaldson talks about his tenure in Toronto, the brotherhood of the 2015-2016 Blue Jays, his plans in retirement, and how he wants to be remembered now that his playing career has come to an end. Jomboy Media’s Chris Rose (32:00) discusses the unfortunate prognosis on his co-host Lucas Giolito, his view on the Jays and the AL East, and if free agency will be looked at differently next off-season with name players currently still on the market.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open up the show concentrating on Kevin Gausman and the starting rotation after John Schneider announced that the Blue Jays’ ace has been dealing with shoulder soreness in camp. Giants analyst and former player F.P. Santangelo comments on former Jay Matt Chapman signing with San Francisco (29:23), if the Giants are done making moves, and the perception vs. reality when it comes to luring free agents to the Bay Area. Following Santangelo, Blair & Barker examine the bullpen, particularly closer Jordan Romano.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 affiliate.

As they head into the weekend, Jeff Blair & Kevin Barker open up the back leg line and answer fan questions including who they think is most likely to be the Blue Jays' fourth outfielder and who Kevin ranks as his top ten players in baseball heading into the 2024 season. Blue Jays radio play-by-play voice Ben Shulman shares his Spring Training observations and discusses the fourth outfielder spot, Toronto’s players and coaches emphasizing longer at-bats, and what the team is looking for from Alek Manoah in camp (30:40).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 affiliate.

“The Mayor” Sean Casey joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker with his thoughts on Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s upcoming 2024 campaign, the Blue Jays adding Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and his view on the Yankees offense after being their hitting coach in 2023. Later on, the guys react to comments from Jays manager John Schneider on what he’s seeing from both Jose Berrios & George Springer in Spring Training. The show ends with the guys welcoming former MLB executive David Samson (31:17) to the show who shared his thoughts on Scott Boras’ remaining free agents and if he would circle back on Matt Chapman if he were in Toronto’s front office.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 affiliate.

Blue Jays reporter Hazel Mae joins Blair and Barker to discuss her conversations with Pete Walker and John Schneider following Alek Manoah's first spring start, and what they expect to see in his next start and going forward throughout the spring. With the Blue Jays taking on Tampa Bay in Grapefruit League play, Rays analyst, former MLB pitcher, and Maple Leafs fan Brian Anderson checks-in with the guys (30:25) to give the low down on the team, notably pitcher Ryan Pepiot, and starters not going as deep into games as they used to.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker start the show discussing Yusei Kikuchi’s new changeup after his 2024 Grapefruit League debut on Monday, and Alek Manoah who pitches today against the Tigers. Jayson Stark of The Athletic & MLB Network shares some takeaways from his visit to the Blue Jays facility in Dunedin; notably a commitment from players like Manoah and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to be better and Justin Turner knowing what it takes to win. Stark also comments on how much money Juan Soto will make at season’s end, and if Scott Boras deserves criticism for how he handled contract negotiations this offseason. To end the show, Jeff and Kevin examine Chris Bassitt’s outing against Pittsburgh and the expectations for him this upcoming year (35:13).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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker return from the weekend with their takeaways from the Blue Jays first two games against the Phillies and Yankees. Later, they turn their attention to Yusei Kikuchi who will be starting today’s game against Pittsburgh before examining Cody Bellinger’s three-year pact with the Chicago Cubs, and the Cleveland Guardians methods to improve their hitting from a year ago (27:01).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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker briefly discuss Ricky Tiedemann after being scratched from Saturday’s start with a hamstring issue before being joined by Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho. Varsho talks about the messaging from the coaching staff to players early in camp, what he worked on this offseason, and being teammates with Justin Turner after being a division rival the past four years.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 kick off the show discussing Blue Jays top prospect Ricky Tiedemann and what we can expect out of him from Spring Training. The guys are then joined by Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (30:23) from Dunedin and open up the back leg line for fan questions ahead of the Blue Jays’ first Grapefruit League game against the Phillies.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker react to comments from the Blue Jays yesterday at Spring Training; notably Bo Bichette discussing the work players are doing with Don Mattingly and John Schneider looking ahead to Toronto’s early season schedule. Foul Territory host and former MLB catcher Erik Kratz (27:42) shares his thoughts on the new MLB jerseys which have been a controversial topic amongst players, Spring Training being a good time for coaches and players to have honest conversations, and the expectations on Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2024.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 affiliate.

With everyone in camp, Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker turn their attention to the free agents who remain unsigned; notably super agent Scott Boras’ clients: Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, JD Martinez, and Jordan Montgomery. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale checks-in from Spring Training in Arizona with his free agency thoughts (27:47) and Mike Trout’s future with the Angels. To end the show, the guys discuss Montgomery further and why they’re surprised he’s still available to sign with any team.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are back on-the-air five days a week as full teams have now reported to spring training! The guys look back to last season and agree that internal improvements from players like Alejandro Kirk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alek Manoah will go a long way to the Blue Jays’ overall success in 2024. Sportsnet’s Buck Martinez joins the show (27:50) from Dunedin with his early impressions from camp, notably players buying in by showing up early and the emphasis on attention to detail from the Jays’ coaching staff.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 affiliate.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker (0:22) from Florida, as they discuss the state of the starting rotation, how they're aiming to repeat the successful (and healthy) season the starters had last year, where Alek Manoah is at in his 2024 preparation, and what Yariel Rodriguez might contribute as one of the newest pitchers on the roster. Plus, Walker discusses the bullpen, including a fully healthy start to the season for Chad Green - is the Jays bullpen being slept on? Afterwards, Blair and Barker chat the process of getting ready for exhibition games over a month before meaningful games begin, and Barker shares his experience on what it's like trying to prove yourself at this stage of the 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Justin Turner (3:40) - live from a batting cage - as he preps for a rapidly approaching spring training. Turner discusses what free agency was like during the offseason, what he would like to see from new teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the plate, where he might play both on the diamond and in the order, and briefly gets into his Dodgers career. 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 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. winning his arbitration hearing vs. the Blue Jays - what does that mean for the relationship between player and team? They debate if it could have an impact down the road, and bring on David Samson (13:03) for some expert advice, as someone who has been involved in player-team negotiations. Samson chats about the arbitration process, and afterwards they discuss the ongoing Vegas-Oakland saga and the Orioles being sold to a pair of venture capitalists. Plus, Blair and Barker open up the Back Leg Line and take your questions! 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.