Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Erik Kratz (0:45), host of Foul Territory and former major leaguer, to discuss clubhouse dynamics for young teams, Clay Holmes' closing struggles for the Yankees, the Orioles 'getting too cute' and who he's got for the final NL Wild Card - Mets or Braves. Later, Sportsnet MLB insider Shi Davidi (28:25) from Atlanta shares some injury updates on Bo Bichette and Jordan Romano before teeing up the Jays' weekend series against the Braves. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not n...

Blair and Barker begin the Friday edition checking in on the Back-Leg Line - discussing if Juan Soto is worth signing to a long-term contract in free agency, why bringing in talent to the roster is more important to the Blue Jays than changing the coaching staff and addressing the bullpen issues. Jays' skipper John Schneider (26:13) stops by for his weekly chat to discuss the Atlanta Braves and lefty Max Fried, his team's recent trends against left-handed pitchers, his assessment of Will Wagner, Spencer Horwitz' outlook at second base and whether we'll see Jake Bloss by the end of t...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan (1:35) to break down Matt Chapman's 6-year extension with the Giants and how it might impact Alex Bregman's market in the offseason. Then, he shares why the Astros are the team to beat in the AL and puts Shohei Ohtani's historic 2024 campaign in perspective. Later, Mets bench coach and former Jays manager John Gibbons (28:02) discusses his role in New York, Francisco Lindor's turnaround and his approach to analytics.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do...

Blair and Barker begin the show sharing their to-do list of what they want to see from the 2024 Blue Jays with only 21 games remaining including playing time for Addison Barger in different positions, Bo Bichette's availability and Yariel Rodriguez's pitching. Then, TV play-by-play voice for the Atlanta Braves Brandon Gaudin (25:34) stops by to chat about the importance of their lead-off hitter, Chris Sale's return to form and how manager Brian Snitker has navigated his team this season. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect t...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker get set for the Blue Jays' two-game series against the Phillies with Phillies TV analyst Ben Davis. He digs into potential reasons for Philadelphia's late-season skid, what lessons they can take away from their last postseason run and the team's X-Factors heading into October. Blue Jays' play-by-play voice Dan Shulman (26:05) discusses the Jays' roster uncertainties they need to sort out in the final month of the regular season - Barger's upside, Horwitz's ideal position, Will Wagner's role and more.

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts...

Blair and Barker begin the show projecting which of the younger Blue Jays players will become mainstays in the lineup heading into the next season including Spencer Horwitz at second base, starting rotation and Jordan Romano's closer role. Then, The Athletic's Jayson Stark (27:01) stops by to chat about the Wild Card races ramping up as we enter September, if the AL East has weakened as a division, Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series hopes and whether the Philadelphia Phillies shifted their focus to October too early. 

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Blair and Barker are joined by ESPN's Jeff Passan (7:23) to reflect on the teams' performances one month after the trade deadline, if it's worth it for Bo Bichette and the organization to play some of the remaining games of the season, projecting Japanese star pitcher Rōki Sasaki's chance of playing in the MLB, and what Corbin Burnes and Juan Soto could be eyeing for ahead of entering free agency. Then Twins Senior VP & GM Thad Levine (29:18) jumps on ahead of the Blue Jays' meeting in Minnesota, the challenges his baseball club has gone through while fighting for a sp...

Blue Jays manager John Schneider joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker from Minnesota as Toronto gets ready to face the Twins. The guys discuss the club’s recent play, notably Bowden Francis’ last few impressive starts after he pitched another gem Thursday night against the Red Sox. It’s Friday so Blair & Barker open up the Back Leg Line and answer some questions from fans of the show!

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 aff...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Royals TV analyst Rex Hudler (0:40) to discuss KC's transformative 2024 season after their 100-loss 2023 campaign - specifically, Bobby Witt Jr.'s superstar jump and the unsung heroes of the Royals' push for an AL Central lead. MLB Network's Mark Feinsand (26:25) shares his thoughts on the different directions the Jays could go in free agency, Aaron Judge running away with AL MVP and the chances that Juan Soto stays in the Bronx. 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily r...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker examine the Blue Jays 3-0 loss against the Boston Red Sox and concentrate on Chris Bassitt’s bounce back performance in a tough luck loss. Blue Jays’ infielder Ernie Clement (26:38) joins the guys ahead of the series finale at Fenway Park to discuss his 2024 season so far particularly his defensive play. 

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.