Blue Jays Happy Hour

The Blue Jays couldn't afford to dig themselves an early hole this season, and they've managed to avoid doing exactly that. Chris Bassitt, Jeff Hoffman, and Yimi Garcia pitching like the best starter, closer, and setup man in baseball will certainly help in that regard. But whether their success will prove durable—whether enough offence will come, whether the rotation will hold, and whether the bu...

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is now under contract with the Toronto Blue Jays for the next 15 years, and all it took to make it happen was a mere half-a-billion dollars. Everybody gets what they want except the pocketbook of a rich weirdo who couldn't spend all his money in a thousand lifetimes anyway. That's a win-win-win in my book! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Blue Jays split a four-gamer with the Orioles to start the 2025 season, and then swept the Nationals at home. Max Scherzer may be out, but with performances like we've been seeing from the likes of Andrés Giménez, George Springer, and Easton Lucas, his absence has barely been felt so far. And so for this week's episode, knowing precisely what the answer would be, we went for a quasi-traditiona...

The 2025 MLB season is nearly upon us, and the Blue Jays have a fighting chance in an ultra-tight American League in which every team still has the same record. But merely meeting their projections won't be good enough, and succeeding will rely on some good stories from a group of position player prospects older than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and health from a starting rotation with an average age of...

We start this one off with an obligatory check-in on the Vladdy circus—and circle back on it at the end because of Mark Shapiro's surprising admission of optimism on still getting an extension done—and some of the goings-on in Dunedin, before heading full on into Food Talk. That's right, it's our annual review of the Jays' newly announced ballpark food offerings! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

New reporting suggests that the contract talks between the Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stalled out with a gap of just $50 million over 14 years. Does that change how we feel? Is anybody being reasonable here? Can they still perhaps salvage this now that both sides can be credibly seen as ridiculous? This week we focus on the biggest story of the Jays' season—so much for not being a distrac...

We mostly take Nick's advice this week and "focus on the season." Though big picture concerns about the franchise aren't going away anytime soon, the Jays have a talented group in camp, are already seeing some positive stories, and potentially have the makings of a fun and relevant team. It may not work out that way, of course. But if you can't get hopeful in March you've got real problems. Hosted...

Spring has finally sprung for the Toronto Blue Jays, who have several high-profile players potentially in camp for the last time. Could one of those be George Springer, who—unless he's able to reverse the sharp offensive decline he's seen over his last two seasons—faces an uncertain future with just one more year on his contract after this one? That's just one of many storylines discussed on this...

You had one job, Ross and Mark! And in this Vlad-centric episode, we discuss how and why they failed at it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Like this very podcast episode itself, the Blue Jays' offseason may be ending on a positive note. January signings of Anthony Santander and Max Scherzer—the latter only made official this week—have put the club back firmly into the American League playoff mix. But they aren't out of the mushy middle yet. And with projections that may seem a bit too bullish—for example, Alejandro Kirk, Andrés Gimén...

The Blue Jays have finally added some desperately needed power to the middle of their lineup, signing switch-hitting Orioles slugger Anthony Santander to a five-year, $90 million deal—with an opt out, a potential sixth year, and a whole bunch of deferred money. This week we talk about what the signing means and how Santander fits. Plus, what's next for the Jays, which free agent targets make the m...

Jeff Hoffman is the Blue Jays new closer, but not after a couple of failed physicals elsewhere—potentially an odd choice given that medicals seemed to be a big part of the rationale for the club parting ways with the popular Jordan Romano. PLUS: Roki Sasaki's decision seems to be imminent, and as of the time of this recording the Jays hadn't been ruled out of the running for the man with the "Japa...

After a quick opening digression to discuss Vlad's recent contract comments and the offseason so far, this week we dive into what we've learned in 2024—about the franchise, the front office, and its most important players—looking backwards and forwards, as your Toronto Blue Jays enter a pivotal year teetering on the edge of the abyss. FOLLOW BLUE JAYS NATION! Website: https://bluejaysnation.com/ I...

The Jays made a trade just after we recorded our previous episode, but have been kind enough not to do much else since. So this week we review the Andrés Giménez deal, touching on Nick Sandlin, who—along with the newly re-acquired Yimi García—is part of a bullpen that may be more complete than fans realize. Plus: the biggest question hanging over the franchise: the future of Vladimir Guerrero Jr....

The Winter Meetings are on, Juan Soto and Jordan Romano are gone, and the Blue Jays have entered their pivot. In is former interim closer Yimi García, and—though we didn't know it at the time of this recording—glove-first-except-for-that-one-season second baseman Andrés Giménez. But as deck chairs get shuffled, big questions—Will they be able to sign Vlad?, Can they actually land Corbin Burnes?, W...

The Juan Soto saga will continue on through MLB's traditional quiet period for American Thanksgiving—no, he is not joining the Boston Red Sox, as some were fooled into thinking was happening this week—which means that we're obligated to check in on the race for his signature. Plus, we've got some big name pitching signings to talk about—Snell to the Dodgers, Kikuchi to the Angels, Fernando Rodney...

Juan Soto "rumours" continue to fly, as Jays fans brace themselves to be hurt again. Plus, the Jays have hired former Reds manager David Bell as the latest "name" to join their front office, and the business of the offseason continues, with the Jays choosing not to add any Rule-5-eligible prospects to their 40-man roster in order to protect them from selection, as several non-tender decisions loom...

It's Juan Soto's world, we're just living in it. But probably not for a whole lot longer! So, for this week's episode, we checked in on a "reeking of desperation" pursuit of the league's top available free agent that is once again being undertaken by the Toronto Blue Jays. Plus: Making the pitch for Roki Sasaki, Blue Jays trade chips, some actually realistic free agent targets, and more! FOLLOW BL...

The "uber-agent," Scott Boras, was in his element this week in San Antonio, Texas. That's where the MLB world met for the league's annual GM Meetings. And, though not before rounding up all the latest Jays-related chatter—Ross Atkins' "easy no" on Bo, experimenting with Vlad at third base, dabbling in the high-end pitching market, questions about the finances—in this episode we grade the puns Bora...

Did the Blue Jays have a good-enough offseason? Which players were getting too much hype, and which weren't getting enough? How well would the team do this season? These were all questions that we discussed back in the spring, before the Jays embarked on what ultimately became their most disappointing season in years. Come join us as we revisit our thoughts—some prescient, most not so much. FOLLOW...

Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have met the media to wrap-up another disappointing Blue Jays season, and this week Nick and Stoeten discuss the highlights and lowlights of what they said, and whether fans are ready to swallow another helping of what it feels to many has been sold to them for the last nine straight years. FOLLOW BLUE JAYS NATION! Website: https://bluejaysnation.com/ Instagram: https:...

The Blue Jays' season has mercifully over. But as a crucial offseason begins, fans seem to have little interest in showing mercy to those responsible for putting the team together—especially as it seems increasingly clear that President Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins will continue to lead the club into 2025. This week Nick and Stoeten have a wide-ranging talk about the season that was, the vibes...

Bo Bichette tries to play baseball in 2024. No-show Bichette. It's been a tough year for the Blue Jays' star shortstop, who had his season end last week after returning for just a single game following a two-month layoff. But it's been tough for a whole lot of people, hasn't it? Daulton Varsho just had surgery, several relievers are not going to return, Jonatan Clase appears to need more minor lea...

Bowden Francis continues to pitch his way into the Jays' 2025 rotation, but what will happen to him now that his "personal catcher" is off the roster? PLUS: Davis Schneider's resurgence, Yariel Rodríguez's season, Addison Barger's tools, Chris Bassitt's comments, Heyman-Schneider nonsense, and more! FOLLOW BLUE JAYS NATION! Website: https://bluejaysnation.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...

Bo Bichette has declared his desire to stay in Toronto long-term, and to win a championship with teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It's a bold and surprising statement for a player long considered to be more willing than most to test free agency, but how important is it? Does it change anything? What does it really mean? Plus: Was keeping Chad Green a mistake? Can Spencer Horwitz continue to produce?...