Exit Philosophy with Griff and Mal

The Blue Jays have added yet another Gold Glove, this time from the Guardians, in the wake of losing out on Juan Soto. With run prevention taken care of were the Jays ever really in play for the most prized free agent since … uh, Ohtani. This Scott Boras-orchestrated winter meeting was busy and eventful, but the Jays need to follow up with some bats in order to compete. This week's list has Mal an...

With the annual MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas this week, Griff and Mal offer an Exit Philosophy primer on the process, with personal memories from past meetings, plus a preview of what to expect and how the whole thing works. It could be a busy week for transactions. We interpret this week's GM Ross Atkins session with the Toronto BBWAA, offer up our Top 5 lists of favourite MLB ballparks and, of...

The Blue Jays have to deal with a handful of obvious needs if they truly want to compete immediately, part of a quick rebuild for 2025. The free agent pool is an easy shortcut, especially as a cure for what has become a shallow bullpen, with as many as five spots still open. Griff and Mal discuss the recent non-tender list swelling the FA relief pool to 100 and talk about whether Jordan Romano cou...

The deadline for setting 40-man rosters has come and gone and the Blue Jays chose not to add any of their dozen Rule 5 eligible Top 30 prospects, meaning they can be lost to any other team in the draft, December. 11. Is that something or nothing? Owners meetings and the commissioner reacts to the Rays dilemma. Dealing with Scott Boras and possibility of an accelerated Soto signing decision. Argume...

Blue Jays brass will reportedly fly to Los Angeles this week to meet with Juan Soto's reps. Atkins and Shapiro will likely present their best offer for the best free agent available, but will it be enough? The Red Sox, Mets and Yankees are next and history tells you that going first in negotiations is never a good thing. Mal and Griff ponder the unexpected departure of popular hitting coach Matt H...

For years, the unique home run calls of Expos French-language broadcaster Rodger Brulotte have received huge airplay across North America. Excited and drawn out, "Bonsoir, elle est parti" was delivered as if each homer was Game 7 of a World Series. But Rodger was far more than that for the first Canadian franchise. Over 36 years of the Expos, Rodger had duties in scouting, PR, marketing, promotion...

With the San Antonio GM Meetings ongoing, it signals the launch of what will be the most important off-season in the 10 years of this Blue Jays front office. In Exit Philosophy, Season 2 Episode 43, Griff and Mal suggest a blueprint GM Ross Atkins might want to follow if this team hopes to add the 14-16 wins to their record, necessary to compete for a wild-card in '25. The importance of being supe...

Former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons joins Griff and Mal on Exit Philosophy to discuss the '24 World Series, his role as bench coach with the Mets, his long and grinding road on and off the field including two stints as Jays skipper, thoughts on all of his GMs in Toronto, plus it's clear the urge to manage again, is still there, as reflected by his recent interview with the White Sox. ---- Get th...

Exit Philosophy, Episode 41, Griff and Mal discuss the prospect of the Jays making a serious run at free-agent Juan Soto. Pay tribute to the late Fernando Valenzuela on the eve of The '24 World Series, a rematch between his team, the Dodgers and their nemesis the Yankees. The '81 season was the dawn of FernandoMania and the closest the Expos came to reaching the World Series, ending with Blue Mond...

Griff and Mal in Episode 40 discuss the damaging changes in MLB post-season strategy wherein bullpens dominate and a deep starting rotation is no longer important. At a time when baseball should be offering up its marquee pitching stars to combat the competition — the opening of the NBA and NHL seasons, with the NFL in full swing, 6-7 pitchers in a combined shutout is how teams feel they can win....

After a short hiatus, Exit Philosophy returns with interim co-host, Mal Romanin, who enters with 12 years as the Blue Jays Director of Communications, with that coming off 10 years in the Jays press box as an original analytics guy. Featured in Episode 39 are discussions on the difficulties in a 5-month Blue Jays rebuild, especially with this front-office, a look at the remaining MLB playoff parti...

Earlier this summer, Griff's the Pitch caught up with Ernie Whitt for a wide-ranging conversation in which the former Jays' catcher describes his time in Toronto, many of the highlight moments from his 26 years as manager of Team Canada that includes every WBC event and how his experiences almost make him feel Canadian.     ----   Get the audio version of Exit Philosophy wherever you get your podc...

What, if anything, is there left for the Toronto Blue Jays to learn about themselves in the final three games of the regular season? Griff and Scotty Mac discuss the roster machinations which cost Rowdy Tellez a bonus in Pittsburgh and Zach Pop crucial service time in Toronto. Griff takes us back to 1979 to counter those who are upset the Mets and Braves will play an inclement weather-influenced d...

It was 55 years ago that an entire nation was introduced to the passion of Montreal Expos baseball. Canada's first Major League Baseball team was on TV just once per week, so it was all about re-creating in your mind's eye via Dave Van Horne and his partners on radio. Dave was the voice of summer for many generations. In our latest Griff's Baseball Conversations, Dave and I recall the start of his...

Griff and Scotty Mac celebrate Shohei Ohtani's historic 50/50 season (50 home runs, 50 stolen bases), but not before they break down Rogers' takeover of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and what it means for the Toronto Blue Jays and the professional sports landscape in the city. Included in the discussion, the increasingly blurred relationship between the teams and the media which cover them.

After starting off with more love for Toronto Blue Jays breakout Bowden Francis, Griff and Scotty Mac shift their attention to recent comments from shortstop Bo Bichette, whose 2024 season has been one he'd like to forget. What Bo told Sportsnet's Shi Davidi was markedly different than what he told the Toronto Star's Rosie DiManno a couple of months ago; the guys consider Bo's motivations and opti...

The Toronto Blue Jays are into the final month of the season and the kids have been playing long enough now for Griff and Scotty Mac to play "Realistic Ronnies" (as opposed to "Negative Nellies") and give their opinions on where the young players fit, or don't, on the 2025 roster and beyond. Bowden Francis continues to ascend; and a comment about Chris Bassitt triggers memories of the guys coverin...

PROGRAMMING NOTE: A longer, unedited version of this episode can be found, no later than Wednesday, on youtube.com/@exitphilosophy. In this episode, Griff and Scotty Mac discuss the recent 16-game run against lesser teams and whether the Toronto Blue Jays 10-6 record was a mirage. Joey Votto retires - did the Blue Jays handle it properly? And as Bo Bichette nears a return from the injured list the...

Following the Toronto Blue Jays' weekend visit to Wrigley Field, Griff and Scotty Mac, both of whom have been to the fabled stadium on many different occasions, share their favourite memories. The conversation then turns to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s and Bo Bichette's long-term situations, how and why the situations are so different and what, if anything, can be done to rectify the relationship with...

It's the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Major League Baseball players' strike, a sadly pivotal moment in Montreal Expos history and a moment which literally changed the course of Griff's life, as he details in this episode. Then, the guys get into Toronto Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro's media availability from last week and it leads to a lively discussion.

It's been almost a week since the MLB Trade Deadline and Scotty Mac wants to know, has the dopamine rush ended yet? Getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed long term needs to be the top priority. The guys discuss who of the Toronto Blue Jays' young players should have a guaranteed spot on the 2025 opening day roster. Has the mood changed with regard to the Jays' front office and if so, why? The Chica...

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Griff and Scotty Mac will be LIVE on YouTube at 8pmET on Tuesday, July 30, recapping the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Join in the conversation at www.youtube.com/@exitphilosophy As of this recording the Toronto Blue Jays have traded Yimi Garcia, Nate Pearson, and Danny Jansen. There's more to come, surely, headlined by Yusei Kikuchi. The guys look at the trades, reflect...

Griff and this week's co-host, Dave Perkins, discuss their mutual history at the Toronto Star, with Dave as sports editor hiring Griff away from the Montreal Expos. They discuss how fans and the media have evolved through the years from the early 1990s to now. They talk the Hall-of-Fame and memories of Jim Leyland, plus a recent father-son road trip to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh by Dave. Then there...

Former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez wins the Home Run Derby at the MLB All-Star Game. And who was that wearing his jersey? And should those two be reunited in 2025? Griff wonders why a 5-4 western road trip felt worse than the winning record suggests. Scotty Mac ranks MLB franchises from 2001, Rogers first full season as owners of the Blue Jays, until now and, ooooof, does it not...

Off a mostly successful weekend in Seattle for the Toronto Blue Jays, Griff and Scotty Mac share memories of the annual trip to the Jays' western "home away from home." Do we owe George Springer an apology? With Kevin Pillar reaching the coveted 10 years of Major League service time, the guys celebrate Pillar's unlikely career. Plus, a debate over who should be the All-Star Game's starting pitcher...