Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker look at the tight race in the AL Central between the Guardians, Royals and Twins and project which might come out on top. Former GM and MLB Network's Dan O'Dowd (9:01) shares how he evaluates a team down the stretch, the sustainability of Vladdy's hot stretch, off-field concerns around Bo Bichette and more. Former MLB executive David Samson (29:10) weighs in on the prop...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss Yariel Rodriguez’s latest outing after picking up the loss at Fenway Park. Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine (25:00) discusses the run the Braves have been on despite their numerous injuries, Chris Sale’s Cy Young-calibre season, and shares his thoughts on the state of pitching in the game today and the importance of a starting pitcher. The views and opinions exp...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are joined by Jays TV analyst Buck Martinez (6:15) from Boston to share some team storylines to watch with 29 games remaining in the regular season. He gets into the future of the rotation, the plan for Bo Bichette when he returns, their young players with the highest upside and more. WEEI's Rob Bradford (28:32) helps tee up the rest of the Jays' series against the Red...

Jeff Blair & Kevin Barker discuss the Blue Jays recent play as they attempt to get back to .500 on the season and react to Justin Verlander’s comments on Sunday Night Baseball regarding the state of starting pitching in the game. Later on, ESPN baseball insider Kiley McDaniel (31:18) examines the tiers of the upcoming free-agent class and how Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are perceived by...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker discuss the Jays' recent offensive surge before they are joined by Jays' pitching prospect at Triple-A Buffalo, Jake Bloss (6:32). He shares what it was like getting traded at the deadline, how he's settled in with the organization and what he's been working on as he awaits a call-up for his Jays debut. Seattle Times' Ryan Divish (28:07) discusses what's next for the Ma...

After some time apart, Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker are BACK! After catching up they open up the Back Leg Line for a few calls and are joined by Blue Jays manager John Schneider (27:45) coming off of Toronto’s 5-3 win over the Angels. To end the hour, the guys discuss how much time Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could see at third base in 2025.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of...

Jeff Blair welcomes Red Sox & former Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen (1:10) to share how he's settling in with the Sox since he was traded at the deadline, catching a different pitching crew and his chance to become the first player to play for both teams in the same game. Then, Jeff reacts to the Mariners firing manager Scott Servais and reflects on where it went wrong for them. Finally, radio voi...

Jeff Blair discusses Joey Votto’s retirement and his potential for reaching the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Padres analyst and former player Tony Gwynn Jr. (15:02) shares a story of Votto reaching out to his dad, arguably the best hitter of all-time, before examining the wild card race in the National League, AJ Preller’s moves throughout the season and at the deadline, and if Fernando Tatis Jr....

Jeff Blair is joined by ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan (1:40) to make his now weekly projection for a potential Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension and how his recent play at third base can impact negotiations. Then, they go around MLB - whether the Orioles did enough at the deadline, parity around the big leagues and what's next for the Cardinals after releasing Brandon Crawford & optioning Nolan Gorma...

Jeff Blair recaps the Blue Jays' 10-3 beat-down on the Reds in the second game of the series, including another stellar outing from José Berríos. Coach & Director of National Teams at Baseball Canada Greg Hamilton (11:10) joins Jeff to discuss the next World Baseball Classic and Team Canada's outlook following today's announcement of pools, dates and formats for the tournament in 2026. TheScore's...

Former MLB executive David Samson joins Jeff Blair to kick off the second hour, and he shares what he would do if he were president of the Blue Jays (1:23). Then, he discusses how he evaluates executives, the likelihood of a Vladdy Jr. extension this offseason and what's behind the Brewers' miraculous 2024 season. Later, Blue Jays TV voice Dan Shulman (28:29) reflects on his time at the Paris Olym...

Jeff Blair kicks off with a quick recap of the Jays' 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in the series opener before he's joined by Blue Jays Central's Madison Shipman (3:08) to discuss team goals down the stretch. She shares what to look for Berríos in his final starts, whether Vlad Jr. could make a full-time switch to third base, Will Wagner's growing role and much more. Later, MLB Network insider J...

MLB Network insider Jon Morosi checks in with Jeff Blair from Williamsport where the Little League World Series is underway (1:18). He discusses the vibes of the tournament before discussing parity around MLB, Bo Bichette trade rumours and the Jays' path to competitiveness in 2025. Later, Sportsnet.ca MLB insider Shi Davidi (30:37) weighs in on Joey Votto's absence in the Jays' series against the...

Jeff Blair is riding solo for the week and he kicks off with Chris Bassitt's comments on the Chris Rose Rotation today. To help break it down, Blue Jays Central analyst Caleb Joseph (12:45) discusses the team's mounting player frustration and the potential effects of Bassitt's outburst. Then, he looks back on the Jays' 1-0 win over the Cubs. Former MLB pitcher & Reds' analyst Chris Welsh (32:31) t...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker start the second hour by emptying out the Back Leg Line and answering your burning Blue Jays questions! Then, former MLB catcher and Team USA manager at the Tokyo Olympics Mike Scioscia (30:33) discusses the chances of MLB players being involved in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He gets into potential hurdles, the feasibility of a mid-season Olympic break, middle-gro...

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker recap the finale of the Blue Jays’ 9-2 win over the Angels to complete the three-game sweep and discuss Alejandro Kirk’s increased workload since the Danny Jansen trade, his recent play, and what they need to see from him in the final six weeks of the season. Longtime MLB manager and current Angels analyst Bobby Valentine (28:25) shares him impressions of the Jays; nota...

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker are joined by Blue Jays manager John Schneider (0:32) to give a state of affairs amidst the team's series against the Angels. The skipper shares an update on Bichette and Romano's status, long-term plans for the deadline additions, what's changed for Vladdy during his prolonged hot stretch and much more. Later, Ben and Kevin go around MLB with ESPN insider Jeff Passan (2...

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker recap the Blue Jays’ 6-1 win over the Angels, specifically George Springer getting thrown out of the game after it appeared he was hit by a pitch. 14-Year MLB veteran and podcast host Bret Boone (28:05) chimes-in on the Springer incident, Jazz Chisholm’s injury, who needs to step up for the Yankees other than Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, and the wild card races in both the...

Jays analyst Caleb Joseph (1:26) joins Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker from Anaheim to break down Toronto's 4-2 win over the Angels yesterday. He gets into Bowden Francis' 7-inning statement, Zach Pop running out of time to prove himself, Will Wagner's impressive debut and more. Later, Angels analyst Mark Gubicza (30:17) helps tee up the rest of the series, discusses the Angels' identity without Trout...

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker recap Toronto’s 4-2 win in Anaheim, notably Will Wagner’s three-hit game in his debut and Bowden Francis pitching seven strong innings. Billy Wagner (18:35) re-joins the show to discuss Will’s big game and making the cross-country trip to witness his debut live with his family. ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian (29:05) discusses the latest news and notes around the majors including th...

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker start the second hour by reacting to the Blue Jays calling up Will Wagner from Triple-A. Jayson Stark of The Athletic reflects on Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s hitting streak ending at 22 games and why hitting streaks are becoming more rare and less appreciated (1:24). Then, he weighs in on the Yankees and Aaron Judge's intentional-walk issues, Mike Trout's legacy, baseball at the...

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker discuss the Blue Jays series loss to the Oakland A’s – notably Chris Bassitt’s performance and post-game comments after the series finale. MLB Network Radio analyst and longtime GM executive Jim Duquette (29:58) shares his thoughts on what Vladimir Guerrero Jr’s next contract will look like, if he’d like to see Bo Bichette return to the lineup  if he were a rival GM look...

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan (1:39) joins Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker to amend his previous prediction of what a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension might look like and how the baseball world views the Jays front office. Then, he shares possible reasons for the Braves' sudden skid, which AL East contender he's most confident in and his Mount Rushmore of MLB position players right now. Athletics TV anal...

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker discuss the Blue Jays series win over the Orioles where Kevin Gausman went eight innings and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued his dominance at the plate as he ended up being a single short of the cycle. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (28:46) joins the guys to discuss what a potential contract extension would look like for Vlad and the Blue Jays need to spend in the offseason as...

Ben Ennis and Kevin Barker are joined by MASN Orioles analyst Ben McDonald (0:29) to help tee up the the rubber match of the AL East's Battle of the Birds tonight. He discusses how agressive Baltimore will be in resigning Anthony Santander, Jackson Holliday's development and more. Ben and Kevin take a look at the playoff landscape in both leagues before reviewing John Schneider's pre-game availabi...