Blair & Barker

Shi Davidi, Sportsnet Blue Jays columnist, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker on a sunny Monday afternoon to chat about Toronto's climb back to .500. They dive into Addison Barger's strong weekend in Seattle, Yariel Rodriguez' run of good form out of the bullpen, George Springer's continued success, and prospect Arjun Nimmala's potential. Shi wraps up with his biggest surprises and disappointments from the 2025 Blue Jays season. Chris Rose (26:20), host of Dugout Discussions and Baseball Today with Jomboy Media, shares his impressions of Toronto midway through May. He dives into what he learned during his conversation with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over the weekend, before discussing what the future holds for Bo Bichette, Rafael Devers, the Rockies and the Pirates.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 back on the airwaves following the Blue Jays' series sweep on the road in Seattle. The boys dive into the work by the pitching staff over the weekend, George Springer's clutch three-run homer on Sunday, Bo Bichette's production at the plate, as well as Addison Barger and Nathan Lukes' contributions. Later on, Jeff and Kevin open up the "Back Leg Line" to respond to your questions and comments (26:17)!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.

Mike Timlin, four-time World Series champion reliever, opens the second hour alongside Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker. He discusses the keys to avoiding fatigue as a bullpen arm, Jeff Hoffman's transition to a closing role, how a manager can help get a reliever back on track, and how to know when it's time to change a routine. John Schneider (25:00), Manager of your Toronto Blue Jays, joins the guys live from Seattle to share an update on Andrés Giménez, Nick Sandlin and Max Scherzer as they work back from injuries. Skip also chats about what his team can build on from last night's win, Anthony Santander trending upward, Chad Green's save, Yimi Garcia's issues locating, avoiding outside pressure, Kevin Gausman's routine, and Addison Barger's growth.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 Friday's episode with thoughts on the Blue Jays' 8-5 victory in the series finale against the Angels. The fellas dive into the highs and lows of Chris Bassitt's outing, Toronto's plan of attack against José Soriano's fastball, and what to expect from Kevin Gausman tonight in Seattle. Jeff and Kevin also look into the state of the lineup, the need for another bat to help boost the team's offense, and some potential targets on the market. ESPN's Jeff Passan (26:45) joins the conversation to chat about the state of the Mariners ahead of their weekend set against the Jays. The trio check in on Toronto's reliance on their bullpen, Bo Bichette's drop in value, the tear Pete Alonso is on, who's in line for the next mega-contract, Rafael Devers' opposition to playing first base, and Derek Shelton's firing in Pittsburgh.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.

Bob Nightengale, MLB columnist with USA Today, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the Pirates firing manager Derek Shelton and who's else might be on the hot seat around the league. Bob also checks in on the Blue Jays, before sharing his most disappointing team of the season so far, what to make of the Diamondbacks in 2025, and his thoughts on Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker. Travis Sawchik (24:50), MLB writer with TheScore, stops by to share his take on Shelton's dismissal in Pittsburgh. The trio dive deeper into what's gone wrong for the Buccos and the path forward to right the ship. Jeff and Kevin wrap up today's program with more of your calls on the "Back Leg Line".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 open the program with thoughts on the Blue Jays' 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Angels, capped off by Jeff Hoffman's blown save in the bottom of the ninth. The guys question Hoffman's late-game pitch selection, if the bullpen has been overworked of late, and what to make of Alan Roden's demotion to Triple-A. Later on, Jeff and Kevin open up the "Back Leg Line" to respond to your questions and comments (25:21)!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.

Former Toronto Blue Jay, Ross Stripling, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker on the heels of his announcement of retirement earlier this week. Ross chats about what's next for him after baseball, the advice he would offer his younger self, his favourite moments during his time in Toronto, and the state of baseball in 2025. Later on, Jayson Stark (24:37) of MLB Network and The Athletic breaks down the changes to the strike zone in 2025 and the reception around the league.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 air out their grievances following the Blue Jays' 8-3 loss in the series opener against the Angels. The pair dive into the lineup's issues producing with runners in scoring position, Bo Bichette's lack of competitive at-bats, the bullpen's collapse in the eighth inning, and how to right the ship. Chris Leroux (29:28), former MLB pitcher and current Sportsnet Blue Jays analyst, joins the conversation to discuss the role fatigue played in last night's loss. The trio take a closer look at how John Schneider has deployed his bullpen, Toronto's ongoing issues at the plate, and what to make of Anthony Santander's season so far.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.

David Samson, former MLB executive and host of Nothing Personal, joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about the Blue Jays continued offensive struggles. David weighs in on the state of the team heading into Los Angeles, Bo Bichette's ceiling, and how real George Springer's resurgence is, before wrapping with thoughts on who he would rather build a team around: Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal? Mark Gubicza (30:35), Angels TV analyst, checks in on Tyler Anderson's recipe for success, which players make up L.A. young core, and Mike Trout's status in 2025. Mark also chats about what Yusei Kikuchi brings to the team, how the Halos stack up in the American League West, and the job Ron Washington has done.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 today's show teeing up the Blue Jays' opportunity to get back on track in their series opener at Angel Stadium. The boys take a closer look at Bo Bichette's lack of power, José Ureña's first start for the Jays, and how to attack opposing starter Tyler Anderson. Caleb Joseph (25:10), former MLB catcher turned Blue Jays Central analyst, joins the conversation to share his view on Ureña's strengths and weaknesses on the mound. Caleb also chats about his experience catching Anderson in Seattle, along with some reasons for optimism and concern surrounding the Jays' 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.