Blair & Barker

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker kick off today's show with thoughts on John Schneider's latest update on Trey Yesavage. They discuss the impact of Trey joining José Berríos and Shane Bieber on the IL to start the season and break down how the Blue Jays Opening Day rotation is shaping up. The boys also chat about how to manage the team's high leverage relievers, Brendon Little's development over the offseason, and who to watch out for to make the 26-man roster. After the break, Jeff details the Blue Jays' plans to debut the "Hall of Excellence" with legendary broadcast Buck Martinez to be induced later this year. Jeff Passan (27:35), ESPN insider, weighs in on how the success of the World Baseball Classic could impact MLB's pending labour negotiations. Jeff and Jeff also touch on the beauty of the WBC and the growth of the tournament, before digging into Yesavage's IL stint and expectations for Gerrit Cole. 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.

Jeff Blair kicks off today's show celebrating Venezuela's World Baseball Classic victory over Team USA. Kevin Barker joins the conversation live from Dunedin, Florida to weigh in the success of the WBC, before sharing the latest news from Blue Jays training camp. Barker updates us on the timeline for José Berríos after doctors discovered a stress fracture in his elbow, how the rotation is structured heading into the final games of the spring, expectation for Kazuma Okamoto in Toronto, and more ahead of this afternoon's game against the Orioles. After the break, ESPN's Tim Kurkjian (27:56) shares why he believes the Blue Jays will be better during the regular season in this season compared to 2025. Tim also chat about the mentality of the group, the most eye-catching stories of spring training, the Orioles' outlook in 2026, and the excitement of the WBC. 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.

Jeff Blair opens today's show chatting with Kevin Barker live from TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida. The boys set the stage for tonight's World Baseball Classic final between Team USA and Venezuela and debate who has the edge ahead of first pitch. Barker shares the latest Blue Jays news including how the rotation might be structured to start the season, the unknowns of Cody Ponce, how the team plans to roll out Trey Yesavage, what we know ahead of José Berríos' visit to Dr. Keith Meister, and who's in the bullpen mix. Later, Blue Jays radio play-by-play voice Ben Shulman (33:03) stops by to discuss what to watch for in the final ten days before Opening Day in Toronto. Ben highlights the depth in the organization, looks into Arjun Nimmala's outlook in 2026, and previews tonight's WBC final. 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.

Kevin Barker re-joins Jeff Blair from sunny Dunedin, Florida to chat about last weekend's World Baseball Classic action. They outline how Team USA paved their way to the finals, the controversial call to end the Dominican Republic's tournament run, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s explosive play. Kevin then shares the latest from Blue Jays spring training including Max Scherzer's strong start, how the rotation is shaping up with less than two weeks until Opening Day, and Daulton Varsho's strides made at the plate early on. After the break, Jeff shares his biggest takeaways from WBC so far, before Sportsnet's Shi Davidi (28:08) joins the conversation. He chats about the buy-in from players in this year's tournament, why the Automated Ball-Strike system was not implemented, and the impact of Team Canada's run. 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.

Jeff Blair rides solo on today's show as Kevin Barker travels to Dunedin to take in some Blue Jays spring training action. We hear the latest updates from John Schneider including José Berríos' doctor's visit, before Chris Leroux (06:22), former MLB pitcher and Sportsnet analyst, joins the conversation. They chat about who's in line to start in Toronto's rotation, before setting the stage for Canada's matchup against Team USA in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal. After the break, ESPN's Jeff Passan (27:04) shares his thoughts on tonight's Canada-USA clash, Mark DeRosa's blunder, and the top contenders to win the tournament. They wrap up the week by detailing Jeff's latest ultimate season preview and getting his view on the 2026 Blue Jays. 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open today's episode with thoughts on Team Canada's historic win over Cuba to qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic. They touch on the complicating factors of José Berríos' injury, before digging in on the players that contributed to Canada's success. Kevin Gausman (06:58), Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, joins the boys live from Dunedin to discuss the team's revamped rotation, building off last year's World Series run, and his process of getting ready for the season. KG also chats about being a baseball dad, his first impressions of Dylan Cease, the potential of starting on Opening Day, and much more! Later, we hear John Schneider's comments on Berríos' status, before the boys open up the "Back Leg Line" to respond to your questions and comments (26:48). 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open today's show with thoughts on Team USA's loss to Italy in the World Baseball Classic, opening the possibility of USA not qualifying for the quarterfinals. Jon Morosi (07:17), MLB Network insider, joins the boys to reflect on Manager Mark DeRosa's confusion about his team's clinching scenario, how the Italians were able to complete the upset, and Canada's outlook heading into this afternoon's must-win against Cuba. Joe Siddall (30:00), former MLB catcher and Sportsnet Blue Jays analyst, checks in to discuss Canada's opportunity to advance, before checking in the standout performers from Blue Jays spring training. They touch on Toronto's stretch of four-consecutive shutout wins, Brandon Valenzuela's upside behind the plate, the battle for the final rotation spots, Addison Barger's strong spring, and what Dylan Cease needs to get to the next level. 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker open the show setting up this afternoon's Blue Jays game against the Atlanta Braves with José Berríos taking the mound. They sort through the lineups for today's game and detail how the bullpen is shaping up, before moving on to discuss tonight's World Baseball Classic matchup between Canada and Puerto Rico with Sportsnet's Shi Davidi (12:21). They dive into the strengths and weaknesses of Team Canada's squad and outline their path to the quarterfinals. David Samson (28:22), former MLB executive and host of Nothing Personal, chats about the business side of the WBC, the best stories from the tournament so far, Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh's moment at home plate, and more! 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker kick off a new week on the program with thoughts on Team Canada's first weekend of action at the World Baseball Classic. They begin with James Paxton's costly error in Sunday's 4-3 loss to Panama, before taking a look at how some Blue Jays players are faring around the tournament. The boys pivot to the Grapefruit League to chat about the Jays' three-win weekend including Max Scherzer's four scoreless innings of work and Cody Ponce's latest outing. Chris Rose (27:23) of Jomboy Media joins to chat about Canada's path to the quarterfinals and the rise of the WBC over the years, before setting the stage for knockout round. 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.

Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker begin the final episode of this week setting up this afternoon's Blue Jays vs. Braves Grapefruit League matchup with Dylan Cease missing today's start. They pivot to chat about the preliminary World Baseball Classic action with Cal Quantrill (09:02), pitcher for Team Canada! He chats about the opportunity ahead of the squad, switching gears from spring training to tournament play, the Group A competition, and their mentality heading into their first game Saturday. Later, Dan Shulman (27:38), Blue Jays play-by-play voice on Sportsnet, discusses the biggest stories out of Dunedin, the battle for the rotation, the prospects making the most noise, and early outlook for the bullpen. 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.