Blair & Barker

Blair and Barker begin their Monday edition recapping the San Diego Padres' blowout win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles to tie the series, the Mets' bullpen collapse in Game 2 and A.J. Hinch's in-game adjustments. Then, they invite former MLB executive David Samson (28:27) on to chat about the importance of post-season messaging after a down year, who has the most pressure in the playoffs between Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, whether Bryce Harper is Mr. October and rivalries in baseball.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.

Blair and Barker share their reactions to the New York Mets punching their ticket to the NLDS with late-game heroics from Pete Alonso and Minnesota Twins long-time GM Thad Levine leaving the organization. Then, they preview each Division Series with their picks to win the round including how the Kansas City Royals can shut down the Yankees' big bats. Afterwards, they invite ESPN's Jeff Passan (35:47) on to get his thoughts on Terry Francona returning to the bench as the Cincinnati Red's manager and if the non-Wild Card teams will benefit from their 5-day rest between series.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.

Blair and Barker begin the show recapping both series sweeps in the AL Wild Card games before bringing on former Orioles outfielder Adam Jones (12:23) to get his thoughts on Baltimore's lack lustered second half and falling out of the postseason yet again, what will be the front office's focus heading into the offseason and the importance of having clubhouse confidence during the playoffs. Then, World Series champion and Astros analyst Geoff Blum (33:02) jumps on to discuss Houston's season ending despite winning their division, how high on the priority list are Yusei Kikuchi and Alex Bregman to get re-signed, and if the Tigers have the chance to play in the World Series.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.

Blair and Barker are joined by Sportsnet's Shi Davidi (10:55) to get his takeaways from Ross Atkins and Mark Shapiro's end-of-season press conferences, if he thinks the front office will pay Vladdy Jr.'s asking price for a contract extension, what roster changes he expects Atkins to go for, the reasons behind the coaching changes, and what are the positives of heading into the offseason and 2025. Afterwards, the guys check into the Back Leg Line to hear what fans think of Atkins and Shapiro's pressers.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 take us through the Blue Jays end-of-season press conference featuring General Manager Ross Atkins and President and CEO Mark Shapiro (37:26). Later on, Jeff and Kevin share their takeaways including the team’s payroll moving forward, the security of the front office and coaching staff, the disconnect between the franchise and fanbase, steps to improve the roster heading into 2025, and what’s ahead for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette (1:28:29).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.

Blair and Barker begin the show discussing the Blue Jays' plethora of moves within their coaching staff including letting go of their hitting coach Guillermo Martínez. Then, Padres radio play-by-play voice Jesse Agler (11:45) previews the NL Wild Card between San Diego and Atlanta, what fueled the Padres' second-half push and which player will be an X factor in this series. Afterwards, Blue Jays analyst Buck Martinez (28:55) jumps on to chat about what he wants to hear from GM Ross Atkins and President Mark Shapiro's end-of-year press conferences, adjustments for Yariel Rodriguez, the importance of Vladdy's next contract, how he views the starting rotation heading into the offseason and some thoughts on the late Pete Rose's 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.

The Athletic's Jayson Stark (4:24) joins Blair and Barker to discuss the dramatic doubleheader finale between the Braves and Mets, the Tigers' uphill battle against the Astros, Buster Posey taking over baseball ops duties in San Francisco and the Jays' offseason direction. Later, Jeff & Kevin review their regular season picks, make their predictions for MLB's 2024 postseason and discuss the Jays' front office's top priority as they enter the offseason.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.

Blair and Barker begin the show summing up the Blue Jays' 2024 season, what they want to hear from general manager Ross Atkins and president Mark Shapiro in their end-of-year press conferences and which of the players acquired and called up since the trade deadline will be starting on opening day in 2025. Then, Blue Jays analyst Caleb Joseph (31:05) jumps on to discuss if there should be a limit on Alejandro Kirk's usage next year, what improvements he'd like to see from Yariel Rodriguez's pitching and Joey Loperfido's hitting, Vlad Jr.'s next contract and if Will Wagner can be the team's opening day leadoff hitter. 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.

Following yesterday's final outs in Oakland Coliseum, Blair and Barker are joined by former Expos & Marlins infielder Mike Mordecai (3:06), who caught the final out at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. He shares the story of what happened to the final ball put in play and his thoughts on how the final game in Oakland was handled. Finally, the guys dip into the Back Leg Line to answer your questions for the last time this regular 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.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi (6:45) joins Blair and Barker to chat about where he ranks the Detroit Tigers' 2024 season among the franchise's history, how A.J. Hinch extracted the best out of his players and who will have the most pressure heading into the postseason between Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge. Afterwards, Blue Jays manager John Schneider (28:16) stops by for his final interview of the season with the guys to share his message to fans on the team's underwhelming year and what he hopes for heading into 2025, what he's focusing on in the final series and if there will be a change in philosophy for hitters throughout the Jays' organization. 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.