At The Letters

Well, it’s been quite a week. From no-hitters to late comebacks, Arden and Ben break down everything on the Blue Jays starting with their pitching (11:09) before assessing their bats (36:31) and some defensive decisions (54:56). Additional audio from MLB.com. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and...

With the 2024 season about to begin, Arden and Ben start with the latest news out of Blue Jays camp (00:39) before discussing  the high stakes for the coming season (38:07) and whether the team has enough bats (53:02). Additional audio from MLB.com. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwe...

First Danny Jansen, and now some high-leverage relievers. Ben and Arden discuss the injured Blue Jays (00:56) before wondering about the roster’s versatility (25:24) and taking stock of Joey Votto’s progress (39:16). Additional audio from MLB.com. Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smi...

Well, Joey Votto’s a Blue Jay. Arden and Ben break down his minor-league deal (1:48) before discussing the readiness of the team’s top prospects (16:42) and the Jays’ rotation questions (30:18). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Sho Alli and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith. Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca Audio Credits: Sportsnet and Bally Sports Sun. The view...

Two pitchers sidelined in one week. Arden and Ben share a few spring observations (3:54) before discussing the rotation questions bubbling up for the Blue Jays (12:25) and moving on to some more positive storylines (31:16). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Sho Alli and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith. Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca Audio Credits: MLB.com and...

Alek Manoah’s back on the mound, so Arden and Ben break down his debut (15:35)! Later the pair discuss the latest on Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman (27:34), before sharing some under-the-radar spring storylines (45:40). Additional audio from MLB.com. Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zw...

Two new deals change the look of the Blue Jays’ bench – maybe. Arden and Ben weigh in on Vogelbach and Escobar (15:58) before discussing the top remaining free agents (37:08) and Hyun Jin Ryu’s Jays legacy (53:20). Additional audio from MLB.com.   Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelli...

With spring training now underway in Florida, Arden and Ben weigh in on Alek Manoah’s fresh start (01:04) set expectations for the offence (20:43) and examine some spring training misconceptions (46:27). Additional audio from MLB.com Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. The views...

What an off-season it’s been. Arden and Ben start by discussing the Justin Turner signing (05:35) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s arbitration win (33:51) before taking stock of where the Jays stand in the AL East after a trying winter (50:03) Additional audio from MLB.com. Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-...

With the off-season now nearing its end, Arden and Ben take stock of the Blue Jays’ latest moves (02:37) weigh in on the Guerrero Jr. arbitration hearing (36:44) and look ahead at where the team can go from here (55:20).   Additional audio from MLB.com.   Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca   This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Ar...

All of a sudden, this is all very real. After reporting on the Blue Jays’ unusual and fascinating Shohei Ohtani pursuit from the Winter Meetings, Ben joins Arden to discuss Ohtani’s timeline (01:10), the impact of his fame on daily life (35:30), and the Blue Jays’ legitimate shot at landing him (49:10). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Arden Zwelling an...

Let’s go beyond the surface on Shohei Ohtani. Arden and Ben dive deep, discussing everything from his work habits (15:29), to his risk profile (27:30), to how he’d fit on the Blue Jays, before turning to other possible Jays targets (36:12). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca Ad...

In just a few days, the MLB off-season will begin in earnest. For the Blue Jays, that means making some big decisions, so Shi Davidi joins Ben to assess some of the Blue Jays’ issues (00:37) and preview their next moves (32:25). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca Additional aud...

Enough about the 2023 Blue Jays – it’s time to look ahead at solutions. With free agency approaching quickly, Blake Murphy joins Ben for a discussion of the team’s off-season needs (01:44) and how they might address them in free agency (23:50) and on the trade market (39:02). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Conta...

A few days later, there’s still so much to sift through with this team. The underwhelming offence (01:26), the poor baserunning (22:03) and, of course, what’s next (38:00). In this wide-ranging episode Ben and Arden break it all down. This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith. Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca The views...

What a frustrating ending to the Blue Jays’ season. And did it have to end that way? Ben and Arden discuss the Jose Berrios decision in depth, sharing their thought process at the moment and how their thinking has changed since – but in opposite directions. This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith. Contact us: attheletters...

Ben and Arden are at Target Field in Minneapolis where the Blue Jays and Twins are preparing for their wild card series. First, the guys consider Toronto’s uninspiring end to the regular season (01:56) and how the Blue Jays match up with the Twins (09:38). Then, they take a more granular look at both sides (21:09) and offer their predictions for the series (40:21). This podcast is produced and sou...

Brace yourself. The next few days will feature some high-stakes, high-stress baseball. Ben and Arden break down the final weekend of the season (00:45) before previewing a possible Wild Card roster (19:30) and giving the starting rotation some credit (41:40).  This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Mike Rogerson and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith. Contact us:  atthelett...

From hope to despair and back to hope. Arden and Ben discuss a wild week for the Blue Jays (00:23), give the pitching staff some credit (25:07) and look ahead at some potential playoff decisions (31:11). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca The views and opinions expressed in thi...

These next four games will decide a lot. Ahead of four games against Texas, Ben and Arden discuss what went right for the Blue Jays this weekend (02:45), the strength of their pitching (14:40) and the importance of the Rangers series (27:43). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca...

At this point it’s all about wins, right? Ben and Arden discuss some surprise Blue Jays contributors (08:11) before touching on next steps for Alek Manoah (35:14) and the importance of bringing full focus to every inning (45:36). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca The views and...

Suddenly, the stakes feel incredibly high. Nick Ashbourne joins Ben to look ahead at September (1:20) discuss the moves of manager John Schneider (9:20) and explain why trading Vlad Guerrero Jr. makes little sense (30:00).    This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Mike Rogerson and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling.    Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca Audio Credits: S...

After an extremely tough series loss, Ben weighs in on what ails the Blue Jays and what needs to happen next. This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Mike Rogerson and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Contact us: attheletters@sportsnet.ca The new At The Letters original theme song is by Augusta. You can hear more music from the 7-piece Toronto band here: https://www.augus...

Quietly, the Blue Jays have baseball’s best pitching staff. So why does this team still feel frustrating? Arden and Ben try to make sense of it all (01:05) while also weighing in on the Level of Excellence (18:14) and looking ahead at the impact of some returning players (28:44). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. C...

The Blue Jays improved, but was it enough? Arden and Ben try to make sense of the Blue Jays’ deadline approach (00:27) before examining the AL East as a whole (33:11) and discussing the risk-reward dynamic around Jordan Hicks (43:03). This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Contact us:  attheletters@sportsnet.ca Audio Cr...