Artificial Turf Wars: Recent Episodes
Bret Sayre
Greg Wisniewski, Joshua Howsam and occasional guests from around the baseball World talk about everything you want to know about the Blue Jays and noteworthy developments in the game, with a little bit of added fun.
It’s time for host Tyler Zickel (Vancouver Canadians) to perform a check-in on the Blue Jays minor league system to see who has been performing during these dog days of summer. Pat Malacaro (Buffalo Bisons) leads off from Syracuse, NY to talk about the lengthening of the Bisons’ lineup with the return of Nathan Lukas and Ernie Clement to triple-A to complement Spencer Horwitz and Rafael Lantigua who just know how to put the bat on the ball. Addison Barger has become the team’s everyday right fielder, stunning fans and broadcasters with his cannon of an arm. Speedster Cam Eden has passed mailman Roemon Fields to take the Bisons’ single-season stolen base record with 45 (and counting). Pat wraps up his segment talking about how Bisons superfan Mark Aichinger is getting his own bobblehead day in September. Steve Goldberg (New Hampshire Fisher Cats) re-joins Around The Nest to speak with Zick about some former C’s who had been promoted. Alan Roden has kept his consistent approach after arriving in double-A and is finding success, starter Michael Dominguez recorded nine strikeouts against the Rumble Ponies, and the “Shake & Bake” duo of Mason Fluharty and TJ Brock are now the leverage arms in the Fisher Cats’ bullpen. Steve also takes us for an audio tour around the new training facilities at Delta Dental Stadium. To wrap up the show, Chris Valentine (Dunedin Blue Jays) banters with Tyler about the two lowest rungs of the ladder. The Canadians have hit a bit of a dry spell, getting no-hit at home and losing several consecutive games, but are still seeing a great performance from big guy Peyton Williams, who is sporting a .311/.385/.556 slash line in August. Chris gushes about the D-Jays’ Lazaro Estrada, who has been deploying a wipeout slider that is impossible to hit by right handers in his transition from late-inning bulk guy to a legit starter. Outfielder Jace Bohrofen (6th round, 2023) slugged five homers over his first five games after being promoted out of the FCL and Chay Yeager (12th round, 2023) is throwing 96 mph fastballs out of the ‘pen. The two broadcasters then chatted about Jeff Wehler in Vancouver and Davis Feldman in Dunedin providing a solid veteran presence in their respective clubhouses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh discuss the latest developments for the Blue Jays including the still-performing pitching staff, the injury returns, including a rejuvenated-looking Jordan Romano, that will provide even more depth and rest to one another, the Alek Manoah demotion to nowhere and the patience we should have with the situation, the still struggling offence despite better RISP numbers in the month of August and a few extra power displays and Paul DeJong joining Brad Hand on an inauspicious list. They also answer listener questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh discuss the latest in Blue Jays land including the historic debut from Davis Schneider and the skillset that lends credibility to the belief that he will continue to contribute, Alek Manoah's strong return from the awful events of his last start, baserunning follies in Boston, the continued excellent pitching from Yusei Kikuchi, and encouraging start for Ryu that ended in injury, prognoses for the injured Ryu, Romano and Bichette and a ridiculous injury to Chad Green. They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to the Baltimore Orioles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Starting from low-A Dunedin, broadcaster Chris Valentine speaks about Roque Salinas, whose bat finally caught fire in July, J.J. Sanchez's 95-mph fastball, Josh Mollerus' wipeout slider, and Kelena Sauer's sweeping slider. Podcast host and voice of the Vancouver Canadians Tyler Zickel then speaks about his team being the first affiliate in the Blue Jays organization to reach 60 wins and Wednesday's cycle completed by Michael Turconi. Bob Lipman then joins the conversation from New Hampshire where the Fisher Cats now have a brand new rotation, with all five starting pitchers from the beginning of the season switched out with the recent departure of Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse. Bob also gives an update on Steward Berroa, Phil Clarke, and Trevor Schwecke. Up at triple-A, Bisons' play-by-play guy Pat Malacaro looks back at Davis Schneider's rung-by-rung progression up the Blue Jays' minor league ladder and looks forward to the upcoming two weeks of high-intensity baseball as Buffalo makes a push to enter the International League playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh go over the moves made and not made the trade deadline. They discuss the pickup of leverage reliever Jordan Hicks and what he'll bring to the Jays' bullpen in terms of performance and variability, the cost of Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein, the pickup of Paul DeJon and what he'll bring as both a temporary starter while Bo Bichette recovers and as a reserve afterwards, and finally the move that wasn't made for a RH bat and why that is a problem that comes with extra risk. They also answer listener questions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh discuss the up and down road trip that led to a split against good teams, but got there in disappointing ways, the very tired bullpen thanks to the disappointing offence, the reinforcements such as the acquisition of Génesis Cabrera and imminent return of Chad Green, how the 6-man rotation with Hyun-Jin Ryu will hurt the bullpen depth, Jordan Romano's injury and how they'd cover the closer role, a lineup shuffle at the top and potential activity at the trade deadline. They also give out a Do Over to Buck Martinez and a Gold Star to the Brewers stadium ops team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Broadcaster Gareth Kwok's Fisher Cats are still waiting on their first walkoff of 2023, but the broadcasters from the other affiliates talk about the most exciting walkoffs of the season so far. The Bisons' Pat Malacaro tells us his team is finally getting consistency from the starting nine and the starters, Ernie Clement and Spencer Horwitz's dual five-hit day, Orelvis Martinez's triple-A debut, and Zach Thompson's season reset while he was on waivers. Double-A New Hampshire has not really be consistent, but Gareth gives us positive updates about Leo Jimenez's on-base streak, Rainer Nuñez sliding into the middle of the lineup, and Adam Kloffenstein's success in his second season in the Eastern League. In the last segment, host Tyler Zickel of the Vancouver Canadians banters with Chris Valentine of the Dunedin Blue Jays about the D-Jays' rough patch in July and the C's remaining red-hot. We also get updates about Ryan McCarty, Victor Mesia, Jean Arnaez, Rafael Sanchez, Deveraux Harrison, Michael Dominguez, and Pat Gallagher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh talk about the last week of Blue Jays baseball starting with the All-Star game Jays news and Vlad's home run derby win. They also discuss the unheralded reliever corps repeatedly doing its job up and down the pen, Bassitt and Berríos continuing to give the Jays the chance to win, Kikuchi showing an ability to make adjustments that wasn't present in 2022, Manoah's discouraging start, a lack of patience/approach from three key Blue Jays hitters, Ross Atkins' press conference about the deadline approach, Gausman's minor abdominal injury and the pending returns of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Chad Green. They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to Mookie Betts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh discuss the return of Alek Manoah to the rotation and what changes they did and didn't see in his excellent outing against Detroit, the changes José Berríos has made to his repertoire to reclaim (and even exceed) his former glory, the still somewhat struggling offence beating up on bad pitchers while having issues with solid ones and the pending return of Hyun-Jin Ryu, the confusing roster situation that it could create and how it could really affect the Jays' deadline plans. They also answer listener questions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dennis Gilbert, the architect of the Bobby Bonilla contract joins the podcast (37:00) to discuss how he got into the agent business, how the Bonilla contract came about and why he encourages all players to take some deferrals in their contracts to protect their futures. Greg and Josh also discuss Yusei Kikuchi's excellent June, Chris Bassitt rebounding when reuniting with Kirk and the change in his pitch mix/calling, Vlad finding his power stroke for a still-underperforming offence, and some injury updates for Hyun-Jin Ryu, Chad Green and Zach Pop and what can be expected of them in the near future. They also answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to Brandon Belt's dry sense of humour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Tyler Zickel (Canadians) is joined by the wonderfully mustachioed rookie Chris Valentine (Dunedin Blue Jays) and the reliable veteran Bob Lipman (Fisher Cats) to talk about the state of the Blue Jays minor leagues. Chris nominates Ryan McCarty as the D-Jays' hitter of the month and updates us on Rafael Ohashi's return to form, Alex Amalfi's new curveball, Irv Carter's phenomenal changeup, and tells us that Brandon Barriera is throwing bullpens and is feeling good. Tyler's first-half champion Vancouver Canadians love Ian Churchill both on and off the field, Gabby Martinez needs to work on his two-strike approach, Dasan Brown's bat has warmed up with the weather, and Adam Macko (the return for Teoscar Hernández) had his best start since joining the Toronto organization. Finally, Bob makes his 2023 Around The Nest debut by recapping a heartbreaking 14-inning Fisher Cats loss on a balkoff and he tells us to ignore T.J. Brock's ERA because he has been lights out. We end the show with Bob telling us about Orelvis Martinez's amazing turnaround including improvements to his plate discipline and situational awareness.
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Greg and Josh discuss the latest in Blue Jays land. They cover the offensive approach that is limiting their power output and thus run production, the bad luck with RISP exacerbating the issue, the lineup shakeup to try and increase offensive production, the depth/roster construction issues being highlighted by Brandon Belt's injury, the extreme (mostly) highs and lows of Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt, Jose Berríos turning back into the guy the Jays acquired and how a bullpen game can be mitigated by swapping the rotation order. They also answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to the fans of the Oakland Athletics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Pat Malacaro (Bisons) speaks about the Bisons' low-slugging lineup, Cameron Eden's role as a second leadoff guy, and Paxton Schultz's solid debut. We welcome new Nester Chris Valentine, the voice of the Dunedin Blue Jays, who talks about the ebbs and flows of hitting and pitching in low-A, Brandon Barriera's performance ahead of his injury, Ryan Jennings preventing barrels, and some tough times for Tucker Toman and Manuel Beltre. Gareth Kwok (Fisher Cats) returns and give us an update on the double-A team that is now five games over .500 on the road, Leo Jimenez's bat heating up since an IL stint, and chats with Tyler Zickel (Canadians) about the "Shake & Bake" duo of Mason Fluharty and T.J. Brock. Tyler then tells us about Garrett Spain's game-winning grand slam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh discuss the latest in the Anthony Bass saga including a Ross Atkins interview that was immediately undone by Bass' clear lack of growth, and announcement that Bass would catch the first pitch on Pride Night then a live reaction to the sweet release of the Bass DFA. They also talk about why the Alek Manoah demotion needed to happen, what he'll have to work on and potential timelines for his return, what Bowden Francis could bring to the club, the vastly improved defence across the roster and its impact on recent games, the continued excellence of Gausman, Bassitt and Berríos despite entirely different approaches, the power starting to return and Danny Jansen beginning a rehab assignment. The guys also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to Keith Hernandez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg and Josh discuss the confounding first week of 2023 Blue Jays baseball. They talk about the poor pitching performances that preceded good ones with confusing underlying metrics, the early bullpen hierarchy, incredible starts from Vlad Jr and Matt Chapman, the improved outfield defence with a specific focus on Kevin Kiermaier, Brandon Belt's struggles and the addition of Jordan Luplow.
They also answer listener questions and give out a couple of Do Overs.
Greg and Josh break down all 25 locks to make the opening day roster at 2 minutes per player, plus briefly discuss the last two players in battle for the 26th spot.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest developments as spring training nears its end. They go over Alek Manoah officially earning the opening day nod, Kikuchi showing the best command he has had all spring and the velocity band that allowed it, the final two contestants for the final roster spot and where they stand, the intriguing performance of Jay Jackson that unfortunately led to his release and the magical end to the World Baseball Classic.
Finally they answer listener questions and do a brief preview of their expectations for the clubs in the rest of the division.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest in Jays/baseball news. They talk about the return to health for Vlad Guerrero Jr. and the unfortunate timing for the WBC, Canada's ouster from the tournament despite strong performences from Claude Julien, Tyler O'Neill and Otto Lopez, Lopez chances of making the Blue Jays, Yusei Kikuchi's deceptively poor outing, Mitch White's return to health and its effect on the Jays' depth and Kevin Gausman's latest attempt at adapting to the new rules.
They also answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to Duque Hebbert and the Detroit Tigers.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news and notes from spring training and the world of the Blue Jays. They give an update on the injury to Vlad Guerrero Jr. and his role in the World Baseball classic with talk of the risks of the classic as a whole, look at what Kikuchi may be doing differently to put up the early spring success, wonder if Gausman's new delivery could be a thing to worry about and applaud the Blue Jays for putting Jose Bautista on the Level of Excellence.
Finally, they answer listener questions, give a Do Over to Team Canada's WBC designers and award a Gold Star to Zack Greinke.
Greg and Josh share their thoughts from the first week of spring training with topics including Vlad's early power display, Manoah's growth, the new pitch clock and how it could positively affect a Blue Jays' pitcher, Yusei Kikuchi's new breaking ball, José Berríos' mechanical/pitch changes, Nate Pearson's new role, Ricky Tiedemann's impressive debut and the issues resulting from Alejandro Kirk's late arrival to camp.
Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh discuss the three year contract given to Bo Bichette and what it means for his future, the signing of Chad Green and his bizarre contract structure and Canadian/Blue Jays involvement in the World Baseball Classic.
They also answer listener questions and give out both a Gold Star and a Do Over.
Greg and Josh discuss the signing of Brandon Belt and his impact on the offence and the roles of the two catchers, the trade for Zach Thompson and his role on the club, the departure of Julian Merryweather, the remaining holes on the roster and how they might be filled and the new SkyDome wall distances and how they could impact both the offence and the pitching staff.
Finally, they answer listener questions before debuting the "Meet the Mets" segment and giving out a Gold Star to Vlad Jr.
Greg and Josh discuss the big trade that sent star prospect Gabriel Moreno and fan-favourite Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to Arizona in exchange for Daulton Varsho. The go over what Varsho brings to the table, how he fits into a vastly different-looking Blue Jays outfield, how he can improve and what the Jays gave away and why. They also look ahead to the remaining offseason needs.
Finally, the answer a bunch of listener questions and give out a Gold Star to the a team social feed.
Greg and Josh discuss the first significant acquisitions of the offseason since the trade of Teoscar Hernández to Seattle. The go over the strengths and risks that come with Kevin Kiermaier and how his signing ties works in with new pitcher Chris Bassitt and the team's overall desire to improve their run prevention. They also say goodbye to Ross Stripling and look ahead to the rest of the offseason.
Finally, they answer questions and give a Do Over to a division-rival's team president.
Greg and Josh discuss the lack of action for the Blue Jays at the Winter Meetings and what the moves they didn't make and the ones their opponents did make mean for the rest of the offseason, Don Mattingly's hiring, Alek Manoah's first team MLB selection and Fred McGriff making the MLB Hall of Fame.
They also answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to MLB.
Greg and Nick discuss Alejandro Kirk's silver slugger win, the surprising trade of Teoscar Hernández to the Mariners for Erik Swanson and Adam Macko, the impact of the trade on the Jays roster and their upcoming needs, the adds to the 40-man roster and subsequent DFAs of Raimel Tapia and Bradley Zimmer and the rumours surrounding Brandon Nimmo and Cody Bellinger.
They finish the show by answering some listener questions.
Greg, Josh and Nick give out their annual end of the year awards to the Blue Jays including topics like Best Hitter, MVP, Favourite Moment and less obvious, more random categories such as "The Bon Voyage," "Most Surreal Moment" and "The Meltdowningest Relief Pitcher."
Greg and Josh discuss the unfortunate 2-game sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners in the Wild Card round. They go over Luis Castillo's dominance, the questionable decisions in game 2, the bad luck bloops, the bullpen issues and what it could all mean for fan interest going into the offseason.
They also answer listener questions and briefly look ahead to the offseason.
Greg, Josh and Nick run down the excellent play at the end of the season that led to home field in the wild card round. They go over the hot streaks from Merrifield, Jansen and Teoscar, the up and down nature of the team that may bely the actual true talent level and Alek Manoah's Cy caliber finish to the season. Then they preview the upcoming series with the Mariners, looking at the various strengths and weaknesses of the Seattle club.
Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star and Do Over.
Greg and Josh discuss the issues with the play to start Alek Manoah in a potential home field clinching game 162, changes to the batting order that coincides with Vlad's hidden hot streak, the missing Anthony Bass and some recent true bullpen meltdowns, Espinal to the IL and what it means for the lineup going forward, and the fun, chaotic energy brought by Raimel Tapia.
Finally, they answer a couple of listener questions and give a Gold Star to Alek Manoah.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest, strong week of play from the Blue Jays. They go over examples of the important changes that have led to Bo Bichette's recent success, Alek Manoah's "flu game" and what helps him get through games with diminished stuff, Vlad becoming a "100/100" player, Romano's high leverage usage and John Schneider's deployment of the bullpen ace, Mitch White's rebound, the shaky Blue Jays defence, the dependable rotation and the missing Gabriel Moreno.
They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to MLB/The MLBPA.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news and notes around the Blue Jays. They cover the changes Bo Bichette has made to improve his performance of late, the improvement to the bench with the addition of Gabriel Moreno at the same time Teoscar and Lourdes are away from the team, the fifth starter problem with Mitch White's struggles, the incredible performance of the rest of the pitching staff, Vlad's offensive struggles and the great defensive work from the corner infielders.
They also answer listener questions and give out two Do Overs and a Tungsten Star.
Greg and Josh discuss a weird week in Blue Jays land that started with a sweep of Boston and finished by getting swept by the lowly Angels. They discuss the offensive struggles with a closer focus on Vlad's odd disappearing patience, the fundamental issues the team has been having, the strong back of the bullpen performance and the very homogenous bench options.
They also answer listener questions, give out two Gold Stars and a fun Do Over.
Greg and Josh discuss the up and downs of the recent Jays play, the effect of George Springer's absence, Vlad's adjustment to the adjustments, the problems with being too one-handed on offence, Stripling's impressive return to the rotation, Kikuchi's shift to the pen and what that could mean for the impending returns from injury for Tim Mayza and Julian Merryweather.
They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over and a tinfoil star to Tony La Russa.
Greg and Josh go in depth on the trades for Mitch White and Alex De Jesus, Whit Merrifield and Zach Pop and Anthony Bass. They also discuss the deadline success overall and strategies for building bullpens both in and out of the season, the rotation driving the team's recent success and the announcement of upcoming Rogers Centre renovations.
Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to some deadline fun before paying homage to the late, great Vin Scully.
Greg and Josh discuss the wacky, fun Red Sox-Blue Jays series that set all sorts of club records for the team, Raimel Tapia's hot bat, Alek Manoah's All-Star Game coming out party, the Cardinals missing two very key players for the upcoming short series in Toronto and the Blue Jays strategy that presented itself during the draft.
They also answer listener questions and give out both a Do Over and a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh discuss the firing of Charlie Montoyo and the apparent reasons behind it, John Schneider transitioning into the manager role, some new Blue Jays All-Star representatives, a better turn through the rotation, Matt Chapman's "new swing", the return to form of Teoscar Hernàndez and some bullpen shuffling.
They also answer listener questions and hand out a combination Do-Over/Gold Star.
Greg and Josh discuss the struggling Blue Jays from the starters not giving length, a set of middle relievers not keeping games close and an overall underperforming offence. They also talk about Lourdes Gurriel's continued surge, the welcome return of Yimí García, Vlad and Kirk making the All-Star game and the Band-Aid solutions of Sergio Romo and Anthony Banda to the bullpen.
They also answer listener questions and give out a couple of Gold Stars.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news and notes from the Blue Jays including the debut of the very impressive Gabriel Moreno, Hyun-Jin Ryu going down for the year and the impact that has on the rest of the staff including Nate Pearson, Julian Merryweather being hurt again, Yusei Kikuchi's struggles and the trouble with following him with Trevor Richards, Cavan Biggio returning to form and the offence overall hitting well of late.
They also answer listener questions and give out two Do Overs and a Gold star.
Greg and Josh discuss the incredible run for Alejandro Kirk who has arguably become the best catcher in the league, Vlad's power returning at the expense of regular, good contact, Chapman rounding into form, strong rotation showings from Alek Manoah and José Berríos, Yusei Kikuchi's confounding inconsistency, Hyun-Jin Ryu's injury and what it means for both Ross Stripling as a starter and the bullpen's overall trustworthiness, and the injury to Danny Jansen and the doors that opens.
Finally they answer listener questions and give out a couple of Do Overs.
Greg and Josh discuss the news and notes from the red hot Blue Jays. They talk about the close nature of most of the games, which has led to a very taxed bullpen, the strong starting pitching that has some cracks with Berríos struggling and Ryu hurt again, the strong offensive rebound from the club led by the two catchers, and the DFA of Ryan Borucki. They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to Tommy Pham.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news and notes around the Blue Jays. They talk about Vlad and Springer starting to come around, Jansen continuing to mash in an odd way, the rest of the offence struggling as a whole, the very strong starting staff that is carrying the team, the bullpen's issues with missing bats and some minor roster moves.
They also answer listener questions, give a Do Over to Charlie Montoyo and a Gold Star to the Yankees and Rays social teams.
Greg and Nick go over the news and notes from a rough week in Toronto. They discuss Kevin Gausman's continued brilliance, Stripling and Berríos having some rough outings, Romano's first disaster save attempt, changes to the baseball, Santiago Espinal emerging as a top hitter on the team, Teoscar maybe back too soon and the pending returns of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Danny Jansen.
They also answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news and notes surrounding the Blue Jays. They talk about Kevin Gausman's incredible start and a change that could be fueling a potentially second breakout, Manoah's attack patterns, Ross Stripling's fine 5th starter performance, the offensive struggles, Julian Merryweather's fastball issues and the minor league addition of Derek Holland.
They also answer listener questions and give out a shared Do Over and a Gold Star .
Greg and Josh discuss the news and notes from a successful road trip to Boston and Houston. They go over the strong performance up and down the bullpen, the early returns from Alek Manoah and Kevin Gausman, Santiago Espinal's profile change, Bo Bichette's struggles and the surprising Zack Collins.
They also answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to Pat Tabler.
Greg and Josh go over the first week of games and the stories around the team. They look at the injury situation and how the recent trades look with the depth being tested, they discuss the ridiculous opening day, the strong performances of Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman and Vlad Guerrero Jr., as well as the slightly missing fastball from Julian Merryweather and Bo Bichette's very aggressive approach.
They also answer listener questions and give out a couple of Do Overs.
Greg and Josh break down the entire opening day roster for the team at 2:00 per player. They also discuss the two players still in the mix for the final spot.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news and notes from Blue Jays land including the Charlie Montoyo extension, the "better late than never" pickup of Dexter Fowler, Santiago Espinal showing more power, David Phelps officially making the roster, some minor ills in the bullpen and why Greg Bird is not on the roster yet.
They also give out a couple of Do Overs and answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest week of Blue Jays news and games. They start by going over the Randal Grichuk for Raimel Tapia and Adrian Pinto, including the change to Toronto's lineup, the overall talent change and a scouting report on Pinto. They also talk about Nate Pearson's renewed use of his curveball, some hints about the probably opening day lineup, Orelvis Martinez opening eyes at camp, Matt Chapman's early defensive prowess and the announcement of stadium renovations.
They also answer listener questions, give a Gold Star to Nathan Lukes and enter Shapiro's Ranting Corner.
Greg, Josh and Nick break down a very productive week for the Blue Jays. They start with the biggest news, the acquisition of Matt Chapman in trade from the Oakland A's. They discuss the deal itself, the things Chapman can bring to the table that specifically help the Blue Jays on both the offensive and defensive side and the issues Chapman had offensively in 2021. The also talk about the pickups of Yusei Kikuchi and Andrew Vasquez, the swirling trade rumours about what will happen next and the ideal role for Nate Pearson.
Finally, they answer a bunch of listener questions and give out a Do Over.
Greg, Josh and Nick discuss the end of the owners' lockout of the players and the new collective bargaining agreement. They go over some of the new features of the CBA such as the change in the CBT, the new pay for younger players and the expanded postseason, then some of the changes they couldn't make.
They also answer listener questions, give a Gold Star to a pitcher who REALLY cares about baseball being back and talk about some rule changes and how they will affect the Blue Jays.
Because of a lack of baseball news during the lockout, Greg and Josh take a look back at a couple of key players from the first successful era of the Blue Jays Franchise. They go in depth on Jimmy Key and Fred McGriff and what made them special to the Blue Jays and their fans, both during and after their tenures in Toronto.
They also answer listener questions, give a lockout update and give out a Do Over to the Rays owner.
Greg and Josh go over a busy week in Blue Jays land. They go in depth on the signing of Kevin Gausman including the contract he signed, what he brings to the table, how he has changed his approach to pitching in recent years to gain success and why the contract valuation isn't really representative of what Gausman did in 2021. They also discuss potential reasons why the team signed Gausman over Ray, the pickup of Yimi García and the impact on the back of the pen and the no risk/very high reward minor league deal for David Phelps. Finally, they look at the impact of the soft lockout deadline on free agency and how that can be played with going forward.
They also answer a slew of listener questions and give out a Gold Star on Max Scherzer's behalf.
Greg an Josh discuss the José Berríos extension including the value of the deal, what he brings to the table from both a performance and durability side and what the signing frees up for the Blue Jays both in the near and long term.
They also discuss Robbie Ray's Cy Young win, how the pursuit of free agents could be quite tough in this current market and how the Jays might try to mitigate some of those risks. They also answer questions and give out a Gold Star to the Blue Jays PR/Marketing team.
Greg, Josh and Nick give out their annual end of the year awards to the Blue Jays including obvious topics like Best Hitter, MVP, Favourite Moment and less obvious, more random categories.
Greg and Josh wrap up a great, but not great enough Blue Jays season. They start by talking about some of the incredible records set by the offensive members of the club, then go into the incredible, Cy Young-worthy season by Robbie Ray and Alek Manoah's impressive rookie campaign before discussing where it went wrong. They go over the recent games before looking at some of the problems as a whole that led to missing the postseason, despite winning 91 games. They also take a look forward at some of the challenges the club will face in the offseason.
Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to Bo Bichette.
Nick Stellini stops by to preview the upcoming "playoff" series between the Blue Jays and Yankees (28:45). He looks back at the crazy recent series with the Red Sox before discussing the various pitching matchups, the returns to health from some key members of the Yankees bullpen, the potential impact of the increased capacity in Toronto and where the Yankees went wrong to be in this position at all before pondering the value of the unbalanced schedule.
Greg and Josh also take stock of how the Blue Jays got to where they are with a look at the brief stumble in the opening two games of the series against the Twins, before turning it around thanks to the returning power of George Springer. They then look ahead to the upcoming Yankees series, specifically with the choice to start Hyun-jin Ryu in the opening game, and how the whole rotation is now set up for the final week of the season (and more, if necessary).
They also touch on the injury and recovery of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Teoscar Hernández' incredible performance and Marcus Semien's record-tying season before answering listener questions.
Greg and Josh discuss the recent series against the Orioles, Rays and Twins, with a specific focus on the wild end to the Orioles series. They also take stock of the rotation as it stands with Hyun Jin Ryu going on the shelf, talk about the way Robbie Ray's pitches interact and how he's using them to such success, look at Vlad's dwindling Triple Crown chances and the historic nature of his season, and touch on the performances of Marcus "40-homer man" Semien, Teoscar Hernández and the bullpen.
They also answer listener questions and give the Blue Jays Offence a slightly different Gold Star.
Greg and Josh go over an incredible week of games in Blue Jays land. They discuss the expectations entering the four-gamer with New York and the ending results, Marcus Semien and Lourdes Gurriel's incredible hot streaks, Vlad Guerrero's odd splits with runners on base, Hyun-Jin Ryu's recent Jekyll and Hyde act, the returns of Nate Pearson and Julian Merryweather to the bullpen, Brandon Hyde's weird dugout antics and a look at the state of the Wild Card race.
Finally they answer listener questions, give out a Gold Star and an unnamed award.
Greg and Josh go over the last couple of weeks of play in Blue Jays land. They discuss the, up until recently, anemic offence that (combined with some poorly timed errors) led to a tumble down the Wild Card standings, the recent series wins, the offensive explosion against the A's, Robbie Ray's incredible August, George Springer's return to the batter's box, the major September roster shuffle and finally a discussion about the easiest route to the postseason.
They also answer listener questions and give out a couple of Gold Stars.
Greg and Josh discuss the disappointing west coast portion of the road trip, which ended up with three blown leads leading to losses. They go over the offensive issues that created the close games, the bullpen meltdowns and some fielding/bad luck issues. They also talk about the strong rotation, Teoscar Hernández's Player of the Week Award and the changes he has made to become a strong hitter, George Springer's injury, the pending returns of Nate Pearson and Tim Mayza on the pitching side and Cavan Biggio on the position player side, as well as other people returning from injury who may not have roster spots waiting for them.
Finally they answer listener questions and give a rare Gold Star to MLB.
Matt Kory of Sox Outsider stops by to go over the latest series between the Red Sox and Blue Jays, the confusing Boston deadline moves, the delayed return of Chris Sale and the divisional fight going forward.
Greg and Josh also discuss the incredible performance at home against both Cleveland and Boston, George Springer rounding into all-World form, Vlad's struggles, the 6-man rotation's strong play and the future moves required there, the bullpen carousel continually turning but expecting pending major reinforcements of Julien Merryweather and Nate Pearson and the debut of Corey Dickerson and his importance to balancing out the Toronto lineup.
Greg and Josh go over a crazy week in Blue Jays led by the acquisition of José Berríos for Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson. They discuss what Berríos can bring to the club and the cost going the other way, why it made sense and the secondary impact on the roster of Berríos' arrival. They also touch on Brad Hand's recent struggles, Joakim Soria's arrival and the overall look of the new bullpen, the Blue Jays' homecoming, Alek Manoah's velocity and why it doesn't really matter if it's down, George Springer heating up and Santiago Espinal pushing for more playing time.
They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to Joey Votto.
Greg and Josh talk about a disappointing week in Blue Jays land that saw them go 1-5 including two more blown late leads. They go over some of the late game issues including specific worries about the recent stuff shown by Ryan Borucki and Jordan Romano and the late inning offence, the new look, optimized offence, a strong bounceback start from Ross Stripling, the trade talks surrounding the Jays and a discussion about what direction the team should take and the returns of Thomas Hatch and Alejandro Kirk along with the loss of Danny Jansen to injury.
They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to MLB Network.
Baseball Prospectus Senior MLB Draft Writer, Keanan Lamb, stops by to discuss the Jays 2021 draft (21:45). He gives his thoughts on the number one pick, Gunnar Hoglund, and the risks the Jays weighed by taking an injured pitcher in the first round, the upside play with picks 3-5 and some interesting late round signs. He goes over the various reasons why this particular draft was so pitching heavy before giving a final grade on the Jays selections.
Greg and Josh also discuss the upcoming return of the Blue Jays to Toronto and the crazy process that led them there, the All-Star game heroics from Vlad Jr. – and to a lesser extent Semien, Hernández and Bichette – and their strong play out of the gate, the continued dominance of Robbie Ray and return to form of Hyun-jin Ryu and Pete Walker's role in those turnarounds and the return of Ryan Borucki and its impact on the bullpen before checking in on the status of Danny Jansen. They also answer listener questions and give out two Gold Stars.
Greg and Josh break down the Rowdy Tellez for Trevor Richards (and Bowden Francis) trade, including what Richards brings to the table and why Rowdy was a clear choice to be moved, they also discuss Bo's selection to the All-Star team, a positive but also disappointing series vs the Rays and how it affects fandom, the stabilizing force brought by Adam Cimber and Jacob Barnes to the middle innings, Randal Grichuk's place in the lineup and what types of trades make sense for this team and what types probably don't.
They also answer a couple of listener questions and give out a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh discuss the acquisitions of Adam Cimber and Corey Dickerson, including what they can bring to the club, how they impact the depth and what the trade says about how the Jays will operate going forward. They also go over the All-Star selections of Vlad Jr, Marcus Semien and Teoscar Hernández, the struggles of Ryu and how he can get out of them and Chatwood and how he can't, Anthony Kay's strong recent run and creative uses for him with a healthy rotation, Lourdes Gurriel's hot streak, Springer moving up in the order and the pending returns of some relievers and some catchers.
They also answer listener questions, touch on the awful allegations against Trevor Bauer and his place in the game in the future (or lack thereof) and give a Do Over to Chip Caray.
Jeff Paternostro of Baseball Prospectus stops by (24:20) to provide some insight into the Blue Jays' farm system. He discusses Gabriel Moreno and how he could impact the future Toronto roster in various ways, how Austin Martin could also be a very useful, versatile piece. He looks at Simeon Woods-Richardson's ceiling and how his delivery helps the stuff play up, but could face challenges at the next level and finally, discusses a few surprises in the system and what he expects of them.
Greg and Josh also talk about the recent winning streak against the league bottom feeders, including the emergence of Ross Stripling, Tyler Chatwood finding the zone and the three-headed back of the bullpen doing the job, Reese McGuire performing in his special opportunity, the return of George Springer and its impact on the lineup and yet another injury to Nate Pearson. They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to MLB and a Gold Star to Jordan Romano for a much-needed tweak.
Greg and Josh discuss the recent rough patch for the Blue Jays which included three straight games lost when the Jays led in the 7th inning. The guys go over the bullpen woes specifically, who can/can't be counted on right now and what, if anything, can be done to address it. They also look at Ross Stripling's recent good stretch, Randal Grichuk's June regression, a unique triple play and the pending return of George Springer. They also answer listener questions and give out a Do Over.
Greg and Josh discuss the down week for the Jays, including the offence failing to cash in on many chances, bullpen meltdowns and defensive struggles. They also talk about Ryu losing twice in a row for the first time, the resurgence of Ross Stripling, Vlad's triple crown chase and take a ride on the latest injury carousel. They also answer listener questions and award the Cliché of the Week.
Greg, Josh and Nick go over the last week of Blue Jays stories. They discuss Marcus Semien being named player of the month, have a spirited debate over the managing decisions in the Cleveland double header, go over why the clock might not strike midnight on Randal Grichuk's season, and also talk about the return to Buffalo (and the mini-sweep), Ross Stripling's solid turn, injuries and Alex Manoah's rough outing before checking in on Danny Jansen's status. They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to Joey Votto.
Greg, Josh and Nick discuss the impressive debut of Alek Manoah and the stuff that helped him dominate the Yankees, the bullpen meltdowns of the previous week and why that was somewhat foreseeable, if not to that degree, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. rounding into form during the good part of his hot and cold spells, the weekly check-in on the status of Danny Jansen and a few injury updates. They also answer listener questions and give out two Do Overs.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news following a 3-3 week against the Phillies and Red Sox. They talk about the games themselves, the return of Dolis, Ross Stripling's performance and how it relates to Alek Manoah's timeline, the finally fallible bullpen that still contains the elite Tyler Chatwood, the strong play of Vlad and Semien at the top of the lineup, a check-in on the status of Danny Jansen's "automatic out" tag, and an update on Nate Pearson. They also answer listener questions, give out a Do Over and a Gold Star and introduce a new feature, "Hey man, nice shot."
Dr. Mike Sonne stops by (27:00) to discuss the state of PitchAI, his company's app-based biomechanics tool. He talks about what the product does to make mechanics data easy to capture, what they've learned and the tweaks they've made in the last year covering beta testing and product launch, the organization's work with the Blue Jays development team, the biomechanics teaching tool they've created, and Mike gives a pitching mechanical assessment of our very own, Josh Howsam.
Greg and Josh also discuss the strong recent play of the club, including the great recent hitting of Marcus Semien and Teoscar Hernandez as well as the stabilizing aspect of the Ray/Ryu (and sometimes Matz) rotation. the promotion/demotion of Nate Pearson and what happened in his bad outing, the minor league dominance of Alek Manoah, give an injury recovery update and do their now-weekly, tongue-in-cheek check-in to see if Danny Jansen is still an automatic out. They also answer listener questions and give Vlad Jr. a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh go over the latest week of Blue Jays baseball including the recent conga-line to the IL that saw the team lose six more players, the nonetheless successful week, the return or Hyun-jin Ryu, Robbie Ray finding extreme control, Danny Jansen breaking out of his horrible slump, and the continued strong performance of the middle of the lineup and the bullpen. They also give out Do Overs to Sportsnet and the Blue Jays PR team and a Gold Star to an announcer for sticking it out through a very boring moment.
Jeremy Wolf of More Than Baseball stops by (22:50) to discuss the challenges minor leaguers faced during the canceled 2020 season, the further issues in the Covid-affected 2021 season and how MTB is working to help out. He also discusses the latest MTBKicks initiative and how that is helping on multiple levels.
Greg and Josh also discuss the strong bullpen, Hyun-jin Ryu's injury and how the Jays rotation is being affected, Vlad's epic game and its place in history, the return of George Springer and how that changes the lineup and Danny Jansen's struggles. They also answer listener questions and give out a couple of Gold Stars.
Greg and Josh discuss the last week of Jays baseball including the ups and downs against the Royals and Red Sox, some tactical managing issues, the surprising performances in the bullpen, Vlad and Bo carrying the offensive load while others struggle to come around, the defensive play and its chances for improvement and the pending return of a bunch of key players from injury. They also also listener questions and give out a Do Over to some tv decision-makers.
Greg and Josh discuss the wave of injuries/illness afflicting the Blue Jays and the test to their depth, the strong performances from Vlad Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette, the struggling rest of the offence, the surprisingly effective rotation, Tanner Roark's role on the roster and how the bullpen will cover the remaining innings. They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to Zack Greinke.
Greg and Josh break down the interesting stories from the first week of play. They discuss the strong starts of Ryu and Matz and what they used to get there, the issues that caused struggles for Roark and Stripling, the strong performance of Julian Merryweather and the rest of the bullpen, Vlad, Semien and Grichuk's strong early season hitting and go over the injury updates for George Springer, Robbie Ray and Nate Pearson. They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to Buck Martinez.
Greg, Nick and Josh break down the entire 2021 opening day roster, discuss the remaining roster battles and give a quick goodbye to a few pending cuts.
Kevin Weiss of Locked on Rays stops by to preview the Rays. He discusses how they are making up for the losses of Blake Snell and Charlie Morton with different pitcher usage, the loss of Nick Anderson, and how the playing time could play out among all the versatile position players.
Greg and Josh also discuss the injuries to Kirby Yates, George Springer and Robbie Ray and the impacts on the roster of those various ailments, the good news on Thomas Hatch, Joe Panik officially making the roster, the opposite field power of the Jays' young hitters, and the likelihood of the Jays playing in Toronto.
Stacey Gostulias of Locked on Yankees stops by to preview the 2021 New York Yankees (21:30). She discusses the losses of Zack Britton and Adam Ottavino and how the club will attempt to fill those holes, what it's like seeing a super rich team treat the luxury tax as a salary cap, the high risk/reward rotation and how the playing time will be doled out in the stacked outfield.
Greg and Josh also talk about the injuries to Nate Pearson and Thomas Hatch, the strong spring performances of Vlad Guerrero and Alejandro Kirk and what those can mean for the regular season and Josh gives his in-person reports on a quartet of pitching prospects. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a pair of Gold Stars.
Jake English of Birds Eye View Baltimore stops by to preview the Baltimore Orioles (17:00). He talks about what it was like as an Orioles fan to approach an offseason heading into no contention, the tremendous news of Trey Mancini's return to health, Felix Hernández being the latest former star to join the Orioles and what he'll be looking for in a season where wins and losses won't really matter.
Greg and Josh also discuss the injury to Nate Pearson, the ascension of Ross Stripling into the rotation, the roster shuffle of Joel Payamps and Jacob Waguespack, Steven Matz' incredible start and what we should (and should not) take from that, some spring notes on Anthony Kay and Ryan Borucki and the Jays doing whatever they can to get some eyes on spring training games. Finally they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star.
In the first episode of their AL East preview series, Matthew Kory of Sox Outsider stops by (19:00) to discuss the Boston Red Sox' offseason, their pitching staff strengths and weaknesses, and what he expects out of their strong, if top-heavy offence.
Greg and Josh also go over some early notes from Dunedin, the re-acquisition of Travis Bergen, the Blue Jays radio broadcast and what the new baseball could mean for some Jays hitters. They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to Sportsnet.
Greg and Josh discuss the additions of David Phelps, Joe Panik and Joel Payamps and the DFA of Derek Fisher and how all those moves together paint a picture of how the Jays might build their 26-man roster for opening day. They also answer a slew of listener questions, going into some depth about the rotation situation, and give a Do Over to MLB's front office.
Greg and Josh discuss the coincidentally-timed trade for Steven Matz, including his ultimate upside and how he fits into the rotation/bullpen, the addition of Francisco Liriano and how he could be deployed, the next logical steps for the club and the impact of the finalized rules/schedule for MLB. They also answer listener questions and give out a couple of Do Overs.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest big move by the Toronto Blue Jays; the signing of shortstop-turned-second basemen, Marcus Semien. They go over his deceptively solid 2020 season, his upside, his defensive reputation and what the signing means for the infield situation and the team going forward. They also go over some of the comments made by Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins about future payroll and finishing off the offseason and the report that the Cactus League wants to delay spring training. Finally they answer listener questions and talk about some Hall of Fame nonsense.
Greg and Josh go over a crazy 48 hour period in Blue Jays land after a couple of months of silence. They start by discussing the huge move to sign George Springer including what he brings to the table, why he was the best fit and the rarity of this type of move for the Blue Jays. They also go over the signing of Kirby Yates and how the Jays took advantage of a rare availability in the market, the pickup of Tyler Chatwood, the odyssey that was the Michael Brantley "signing," and what comes next for the Blue Jays. Finally they answer a slew of listener questions then give out two Do Overs.
Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, voice of the formerly Blue Jays affiliated Lansing Lugnuts, stops by (25:05) to talk about dealing with the loss of the minor league season, how Lansing made use of the facilities, the uncertainty that came with the pending minor league cutbacks, learning about the move to Oakland and finally to reminisce about a player he watched thrive unexpectedly for Toronto.
Greg and Josh also discuss the slow offseason, the many intriguing possibilities that it holds for Toronto, Mark Shapiro's latest comments and what we can take from them, Hyun-Jin Ryu's meeting with posted free agent Ha-Seong Kim and Kim's latest quotes, Vlad Jr. playing 3B in Winter Ball and the organizational reshuffling. Finally, they give out a Do Over to the Phillies owner and to the New York Yankees.
Former Vancouver Canadians GM, Jason Takefman, stops by (15:45) to talk about the recent changes to the minor leagues, how teams will be forced to adapt to affiliation change and loss and how the lack of the regular MiLB Winter Meetings will force change in the industry.
Josh and Greg also discuss the return of Robbie Ray and the "close" move and what they suggest for the offseason going forward, which is backed by the recent comments of Ross Atkins. They also answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to an MVP voter.
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet stops by (16:20) to discuss the upcoming Blue Jays offseason and the various directions the club could go, spending levels he expects and how the Winter and GM Meetings going virtual will change (or not change) the way things move this winter.
Greg and Josh also discuss the Blue Jays' recent MLB award winners/"finalists", the option decisions for Chase Anderson and Rafael Dolis and the potential flexibility that could come with Vlad Guerrero's recent weight loss. They also answer listener questions, give out a Do Over and are unsure how to react to a recent Tweet from an MLB team account.
Greg, Josh and Nick wrap up the 2020 season by giving out their end of the season awards plus the extra categories like "Most Enjoyable Player," "Baserunning Madman of the Year," "Most Surreal Moment" and many more.
Thanks to everybody who listened during this wild and wacky season!
Greg and Josh discuss the Blue Jays' short run through the Wild Card round of the MLB Postseason, including the decision to remove Shoemaker in game 1, the pitching choices beyond that, the struggles of Hyun-jin Ryu in game 2, the power display from Danny Jansen and some other things we saw that the team can take into next season. They also answer a couple of listener questions and give out a Do Over before finishing up with a brief look ahead to the offseason.
Greg, Josh and Nick preview the upcoming first round postseason series with the Tampa Bay Rays. First, they discuss some late-season developments that could impact the series, then they look at the Rays' starting pitching depth, some of Tampa's injury issues, how the Jays can counter the tough Rays' lefthanded hitters (despite the Tampa success against southpaws), and weigh in on the Jays' decision to start ace, Hyun-jin Ryu, in Game 2 instead of Game 1. They also answer a bunch of listener questions and give their thanks and prayers to the Baseball Gods.
In this episode, Greg and Josh discuss the shaky rotation behind Hyun-jin Ryu and who is likely to be in the mix for a potential postseason series, as well as how the new postseason rules affect that decision should the Jays reach the ALDS. They also talk about the bullpen structure and how recent blowout losses don't really reflect the state of that group, the impact of Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s hot streak, the recent injury carousel including who's in, who's out, who's coming soon and the call up of Alejandro Kirk. Finally, they answer listener questions and give a Do-Over to a Blue Jays player.
Greg, Josh and Nick take a look at the recent news and play of a surging Jays club. They discuss the injury to Teoscar Hernández and the hitters that have picked up the slack lately to help cover for the slugger's absence, the toll the starting pitchers have been taking on the battered relief corps and the excellence of the latter group and the pending returns of Bichette and Giles. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to the Blue Jays manager.
Greg and Josh discuss a very busy week in Blue Jays baseball. They begin by going over all four deadline-ish deals, starting with Ross Stripling, then going in reverse chronological order through Jonathan Villar, Robbie Ray and arguably the biggest pickup, Taijuan Walker. They talk about the impact the players could have, how some of them could see some improvement in Toronto from some unusual season long numbers, and what the Jays gave up to get these players.
They also cover the emergence of Julian Merryweather, strong month of August from a number of Jays players, some injury updates and pending returns of star players, Charlie Montoyo's bunting fetish and the interesting way the Jays can deploy their roster with all the starters-turned-relievers present in the bullpen. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out two Do-Overs and hand out a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news in Blue Jays land including Randal Grichuk's hot streak and change in approach, the injuries to Bo Bichette and Nate Pearson, the improving offence, a vintage performance from Hyun-jin Ryu, an unexpected bullpen ace and some issues with the mental side of the game. They also answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to the Padres manager.
Greg and Josh discuss the week that was for the Blue Jays. They talk about the very strong work from the bullpen of late, especially sudden standouts Ryan Borucki and Jordan Romano, the very impressive and encouraging recent start from Hyun-jin Ryu, and some ups and downs in the rotation otherwise. They also turn their focus towards the extremely slumping offense, but which at least has Vlad Jr. showing some signs of life, and to the bizarre comments of late from manager, Charlie Montoyo. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to the team from Cleveland.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest week of news in Blue Jays land. They talk about Charlie Montoyo's confusing management decisions, the great work from the starting rotation, Teoscar Hernández' incredible start, Nate Pearson's debut and some issues with Hyun-jin Ryu's early season velocity. They also answer listener questions, give a Gold Star to David Price and discuss the messy return to play from MLB.
Greg and Josh preview the entire 30-man Blue Jays opening day roster and the three taxi-squad members. They also give a Do-Over to Brad Ziegler and discuss the impact of the shortened season.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news from Blue Jays land including Vlad Jr. moving to first base, Travis Shaw's misstep on quarantine, the surprising readiness of the rotation, the battle for the fifth starter with Chase Anderson's injury, Toronto's lack of a regular season home and what it's been like watching intrasquad games on tv. Finally they answer listener questions, give out a Gold Star and discuss the unfortunate Twitter fight between Randal Grichuk and Marcus Stroman.
Dr. Mike Sonne, Chief Scientist at ProPlay AI, stop by the podcast (25:00) to discuss his new product, PitchAI. He discusses how PitchAI can capture and break down pitching mechanics with the use of a cell phone, how he and his team came up with the idea, how Blue Jays' top prospect Nate Pearson got involved with the company, and what this could mean for the future of pitching analysis.
Greg and Josh also discuss the Blue Jays "Summer Camp" training in Toronto and the hurdles still to clear before getting clarity on where they'll play regular season games, the Jays' 60-man player pool, the signing of Austin Martin, and a longer discussion about COVID and how it has already affected the start to the season and what could be still to come. They also answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to Rob Manfred.
Greg, Josh and Nick discuss the pending return of baseball. They first discuss the general concept of the sport returning and the challenges that must be overcome in order for play to resume successfully before looking into the 60 game schedule and its accompanying rules affects the Blue Jays. They talk about how the team can take advantage of their pitching depth in the early going, how an out of options player like Anthony Alford could have more chances to show his worth, and how the team can get plenty out of Nate Pearson and still gain the extra year of service. They also answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh continue their look back at Blue Jays history during the COVID-19 shutdown, this time shining the spotlight on the greatest (and a couple worst) individual game performances over the life of the franchise. They include some of the highest highs, club records, goofy moments and a couple of true disasters that people would like to forget.
Former Blue Jays' great, Pat Hentgen, stops by to discuss his incredible 1996-1997 seasons (26:35) as part of an overall historical look back at great seasons on underperforming ballclubs. Hentgen talks about his struggles to get going in 1995, the impact of Devon White and Roberto Alomar, learning from Charlie O'Brien and Dave Stieb, the mentality that helped him win the Cy Young Award, "competing" with Roger Clemens and what lessons he took with him to the coaching ranks.
Greg and Josh also look back at some great seasons on "bad" teams from as far back as 1986 and as recently as 2009 and answer a couple of listener questions.
Throughout the shutdown of MLB caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, ATW will be doing looks back at various aspects of franchise history, from the draft to award winners and snubs to interesting pennant races and more.
This week, Greg and Josh look back at the Toronto Blue Jays history with end of season awards and what they meant to the franchise and fandom at the time. They range from Alfredo Griffin's Rookie of the Year win* in 1979 to Josh Donaldson's MVP in 2015. They also look at some historic snubs, including basically Dave Stieb's entire early-mid 80s run and some awards that the Jays probably shouldn't have gotten.
Throughout the shutdown of MLB caused by the Covid-19 panic, ATW will be doing looks back at various aspects of franchise history, from the draft to award winners and snubs to interesting pennant races and more.
This week, Greg and Josh look back at the Toronto Blue Jays' trading history. Starting with the slightly slower early era that built to a frenzy from 1990-1993, then a look at some trades that didn't exactly work out in the Blue Jays favour and finishing with a look at the deals that helped build the latest contending teams. They also answer a few listener questions on the Blue Jays trading history.
Throughout the shutdown of MLB caused by the Covid-19 panic, ATW will be doing looks back at various aspects of franchise history, from big trades to award winners and snubs to interesting pennant races and more.
In the first episode of the series, Greg and Josh look back the the Blue Jays' history with the draft. They discuss the early success that turned into mystifying ineptitude and its impact on the slow build of the expansion squad, some interesting "ones who got away," some picks that for various reasons were poorly made and had poor results, a stretch of really strong picks in the 1990s, and a look at the top bWAR earners in club history.
Matthew Kory of the Red Sox Coast to Coast Podcast stops by (19:45) to preview the Boston Red Sox for the upcoming season. He discusses the recent injury issues for Chris Sale and the effect on the Red Sox rotation, the still-solid offense and the mercurial Andrew Benintendi, the how and why of the Mookie Betts-David Price trade, the loss of Alex Cora and the pending potential discipline for sign stealing and finally, his prediction for how the season will play out in Boston.
Greg and Josh also discuss the battle for the fifth spot in the Blue Jays rotation, Rafael Dolis' appendectomy and the effect on the bullpen, Jordan Romano's step forward and Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Danny Jansen's recent power displays. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh go over the stories from the first week of spring training including Hyun-Jin Ryu's first start, Nate Pearson's powerful debut and the inability for fans to watch it, Pearson's extreme unlikelihood to make the opening day roster, Vlad's work to lift the ball more and the early results not reflecting the process, Anthony Alford's early struggles as he hopes to earn a roster spot and the minor league signing of Marc "Scrabble" Rzepczynski. Finally, they answer listener questions and discuss the new blackout baseball games in Canada in the context of larger issues MLB has with reaching and growing its audience.
Spring Training has arrived, so Greg and Josh discuss some actual news in the World of the Blue Jays (and baseball at large). They go over the surgery undergone by top prospect Eric Pardinho and its effect on his development, the unfortunate incident involving Reese McGuire, a couple of new MiLB reliever signings, the latest in the ongoing Astros' sign-stealing saga, and Charlie Montoyo's stated early favourites in the battle for the final spot in the starting rotation. Finally, they answer listener questions, give a Gold Star to a very unlikely recipient and give out a Do Over to Major League Baseball.
Greg, Josh and Nick go over some of the recent happenings in the world of the Toronto Blue Jays. They discuss the signing of Rafael Dolis and his potential role in Toronto, the very interesting roster situation that the Jays find themselves in with too many players for too few spots and what that may mean for pursuit of potential bullpen upgrades in free agency, the minor league signing of Joe Panik and finally they look at the various top 100 prospects lists that have come out recently and what they tell us about where the Blue Jays stand as an organization. Finally, they answer listener questions and give a Do Over to the owner of the Colorado Rockies.
Greg and Josh discuss a crazy week in the World of MLB that happened to coincide with a rather quiet one in Toronto. They cover what the signing of Shun Yamaguchi means for the club in terms of potential future Japanese free agents, Yamaguchi's potential role with the club, what types of moves the Jays could still be looking to make this offseason, Sean Reid-Foley remaining in the mix as a starter, Richard Urena's departure, the minor league signing of Ruben Tejada and new jerseys to be unveiled. Finally they answer listener questions and give out the longest Do Over in ATW history to the whole mess created by the Astros scandal.
Happy Holidays from Artificial Turf Wars!
Greg, Josh and Nick break down a really busy week in Blue Jays land. They discuss the signing of Hyun-Jin Ryu and what he means to the club, how he changes the outlook of the rotation and what his signing signifies to the fan base. They also go over the signing of Travis Shaw and the role he'll play on the club, the signing of Shun Yamaguchi and where he slots in the pitching plan, and what comes next for the club. Finally, the trio answer a slew of listener questions before signing off for the year.
Greg, Josh and Nick discuss the good and bad of the signing of Tanner Roark to a two-year, $24M deal including what would improve the outlook of the move and what would make it a waste. They also discuss the rule 5 draft and why the Jays didn't take anybody, what other known targets say about the Blue Jays' offseason strategy, and other teams targeting the Blue Jays' young catchers. Finally they answer a number of listener questions and give a second straight Do Over to the Jays' front office.
Shi Davidi (28:45) of Sportsnet stops by to discuss the Jays' apparent plans in free agency, some of the difficulties they've been facing and potential missteps, the confusing Matt Shoemaker situation, and what could happen if they miss out on Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel. Greg and Josh also discuss the decisions made at the tender deadline - including cutting ties with Luke Maile, Derek Law and Jason Adam and keeping Brandon Drury, missing out on Zack Wheeler and what that could mean, and general issues with the current free agent situation. They also give out a Do Over to Ross Atkins and answer listener question.
Former Vancouver Canadians general manager Jason Takefman stops by (21;10) to discuss the relationship between the parent club and its minor league affiliates, the development of local fanbases and what he thinks of the reported minor league contraction. Greg and Josh also discuss the additions of Thomas Hatch and Santiago Espinal to the 40-man roster, why others were not added, stadium renovations and some eyebrow-raising comments from Ross Atkins. They also answer listener questions, compare the Blue Jays situation to the White Sox and look at the Astros' cheating scandal.
Greg and Josh discuss the acquisition of Chase Anderson including why the Jays might have wanted him and what they might look to do with him going forward. They also talk about the departures of Ryan Tepera and Devon Travis, Mark Shapiro's comments to the Toronto media about Gerrit Cole and free agency, Dalton Pompey and others reaching minor league free agency and Vlad Guerrero Jr. failing to finish top 3 in Rookie of the Year voting. They also answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to MLBPA head, Tony Clark.
Greg and Josh give out their annual end-of-season rewards to the Blue Jays including familiar categories such as best hitter, best pitcher and favourite moment, as well as some more creative topics like best home run celebration, most whelming player, most surreal and GIFable moments.
Greg and Josh prepare for the end of the Blue Jays' season with a look forward at the surprisingly meaningful final series against Tampa and avoiding a 100 loss season, then a look back at recent events like Vladimir Guerrero Jr's controversy-causing weightlifting comments, Cavan Biggio's cycle, injuries and illnesses for Lourdes Gurriel Jr, Bo Bichette and Anthony Kay, the strong finish for Ken Giles and the appearance of the unknown in Breyvic Valera. Finally, the answer a slew of listener questions and give a Gold Star to a pitcher for the Texas Rangers.
In their latest foray into Blue Jays news/notes, Greg and Josh discuss Toronto's quest to avoid 100 losses and how likely/unlikely that has seemed at various points over the last couple of weeks, Trent Thornton's "no-hitter" and he change to his repertoire that accompanied it, Anthony Kay's impressive debut, the defensive challenges facing this team now and in the future, Wilmer Font locking down the opener role and earning a spot on next year's club, Rowdy Tellez and Cavan Biggio playing better as they look to establish themselves as big leaguers and Anthony Alford simply not playing at all. Finally they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to the Mets manager.
Greg and Josh discuss the announced return of Eric Sogard, the wealth of September call ups, TJ Zeuch debuting as a bulk-inning reliever, the playing time crunch in the outfield, Anthony Kay's pending debut, Ken Giles throwing on back-to-back days, the return of Ryan Tepera and potential extensions for some young Blue Jays. They also answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to one of the best hitters of all-time.
Greg and Josh break down the latest news and stories from Blue Jays land including Bo Bichette's continued hot start to his career with two home runs against Clayton Kershaw, Vlad Guerrero Jr's march back into the Rookie of the Year conversation, the ups and downs of the young Toronto rotation with surprise results from Jacob Waguespack and inconsistent - both in performance and pitch selection - work from Trent Thornton, returns to health from Clay Buchholz and Ryan Tepera and a brief look at the performance of the baby Jays over the last month or two. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out both a Players' Weekend-related Do-Over and a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest string of good play and what it suggests fans should look for going forward. They also break down the epic Vladimir Guerrero Jr. vs Aroldis Chapman showdown and the "it factor" that players like Vlad possess, Bo Bichette continuing to break record, Freddy Galvis being waived and how that impacts the roster going forward, the Justin Smoak/Rowdy Tellez playing time mess, Ken Giles' "health" and the struggles of the front office to get a popular message across. Finally, they answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh go take a look at the post-deadline state of the Jays, starting with the incredible, record-breaking debut of Bo Bichette. They discuss his tremendous numbers, how the skill set seems to apply to big league pitching, and a couple of things he still needs to work on. They also talk about the latest injury to Ryan Borucki and the worries associated with it, the acquisition of Zack Godley and the impressive performance of Jacob Waguespack. They also answer listener questions and give a half gold star to the Toronto Blue Jays.
In a Trade Deadline special episode, Greg and Josh break down the Jays' activity over the last couple of days, specifically focusing on the Aaron Sanchez/Joe Biagini/Cal Stevenson deal for Derek Fisher and the David Phelps and Daniel Hudson deals for Thomas Hatch and Kyle Johnston, respectively. They also discuss general thoughts on the Jays' success/strategies at the deadline and how they played out.
Jeffrey Paternostro (8:30) of Baseball Prospectus stop by to break down the prospects received in trade for Marcus Stroman and whether he thinks it was a fair deal, as well as discussing the state of the Rays' lower minors which impacts the Eric Sogard trade. Greg and Josh also give their own takes on the shock of Stroman going to the Mets, his reaction to the trade, the state of the rotation following his departure, the rules for the PsTBNL in the Sogard deal, the promotion of Bo Bichette, the unusual reassignment of Shelley Duncan and some quick thoughts on recent comebacks and blown leads against Tampa. Finally, they answer a slew of listener questions and give out a Do-Over to the home club.
Greg and Josh go over the last two weeks of news in Blue Jays land. They discuss their impressions of the Home Run Derby and Vlad's performance, Joc Pederson's unfortunate fate, a small tweak to the format and Pete Alonso being relegated to footnote status despite his win. They also go over Bo Bichette's recent comments and what we should take away from that, take a look at the performance of some of the Blue Jays' middle of the diamond players, break down the status of the various trade candidates, and discuss new acquisition Wilmer Font and his likely role with the club. Finally, they answer listener questions, talk about Bud Selig's silly opinions, and discuss a couple of recent tragic deaths, one of which hit close to home.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news and developments in Blue Jays land including the strong performance of the lineup over the last month, with specific discussion of the play of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Eric Sogard, and Freddy Galvis, as well as a look at the improvements of late from Danny Jansen and his strength on both sides of the ball. They also take a look at the struggles of the rotation, especially those not named Marcus Stroman, with a further look at what can be done with Aaron Sanchez and the root of his struggles. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out yet another Do-Over to the New York Mets.
Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, the voice of the Lansing Lugnuts, stops by (26:45) to break down some of the prospects in the Blue Jays system with a special focus on Lansing, but also with stops at other affiliates along the way. Greg and Josh also discuss Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s incredible run at the plate and in the field, Marcus Stroman trade rumours and what does and does not make sense, Ken Giles' return to health and prominence, Rowdy's quietly incredible week, Eric Sogard's baffling continued good hitting, and various players on their way back from injury. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to Adam Eaton.
Greg and Josh go over the developments from the last week in Blue Jays land. They discuss Lourdes Gurriel's power surge and his future as a big league outfielder, Rowdy Tellez power and lack of patience, Cavan Biggio's recent improvents, Marcus Stroman's reversion in his pitch mix and the impact that could have on his performance, Aaron Sanchez' disturbing trend of poor performances and his diminished fastball, and the various injuries and returns, including Ken Giles. They also discuss the bizarre Tampa-Montreal sharing report, answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to the MLB Umpires Association.
Greg and Josh go over the stories from a winless week in Blue Jays land. They discuss Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s improved hitting and fielding and what it could mean for the future of the roster, a deceptively successful bullpen performance so far this month, Ken Giles' injury and the impact that could have on trades, the promotion of Jordan Romano, and Aaron Sanchez' continued struggles with command.
Finally, they answer listener questions, give out a Gold Star, and debate the merits of Madison Bumgarner's views on emotion in the game.
Jeffrey Paternostro of Baseball Prospectus stops by to review the Blue Jays draft (22:30), including both the top picks and some later interesting selections. He also goes into the advantage the Blue Jays can have when it comes to scouting Canadian talent. Greg and Josh also discuss the odd decision to make Teoscar Hernández the primary centerfielder and how that reflects on Randal Grichuk's contract, some pitching reinforcements on the way, a really rough road trip, Ken Giles' dominance, and some healthy starts from Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman.
Greg and Josh go over a rough week in Blue Jays land by discussing, the debut of Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel's hot return and his streakiness, Marcus Stroman pitching well through illness, a brief Vladimir Guerrero Jr. slump and the ups and downs of being a 20-year-old big leaguer, Aaron Sanchez' continued finger problems, and the recent roster roulette. Finally, they answer listener questions, discuss trade strategies, and give out a Do Over.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest week in Blue Jays land including the bizarre Victoria Day Vladimir Guerrero Jr. bench day, Vlad's hot streak, Marcus Stroman vs Alex Cora, Rowdy Tellez' power stroke and injuries to the pitching staff. They also give out a belated Gold Star to a former manager and an in-house Do Over.
In a week of Toronto sports media coverage dominated by the heroics of Kawhi Leonard, baseball just rumbled along slowly. Greg and Nick are here to break down what happened during a week where the club didn't receive much attention. They discuss the continued struggles of the offence, Marcus Stroman's emotions, Aaron Sanchez' unpredictable nature, the pickup of Edwin Jackson, Justin Smoak's four walk game, and of course, Vlad Guerrero Jr. Finally they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over
Jeremy Wolf of More Than Baseball stop by to discuss his company's efforts to improve the quality of life for minor leaguers. He goes into how they help minor leaguers cope with low wages, how they get funding for the operation, and their recent partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays and what that means. Greg and Josh talk about a rough week of baseball including Vlad Jr.'s struggles and horrible luck, a rough couple of starts for Marcus Stroman, Sam Gaviglio's strong turn in the bullpen, player meetings, and position players pitching. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to a current Blue Jay.
After nearly a month of waiting, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finally made his MLB debut this week. Greg, Josh and Nick break down the first weekend of Vladdy-mania including looks at his performance on both sides of the ball, the feeling in Toronto, pinch running foibles, and the hype around the league. They also discuss Brandon Drury's hot streak, a good run against Oakland, and the idea that the Jays could be shopping Aaron Sanchez and Brandon Drury. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to scouts from all 30 big league teams.
Greg and Josh go over the last week in Blue Jays land. They begin by discussing the call up of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the hype surrounding the move, expectations for the rookie and what it can mean for Blue Jays fans going forward. They also discuss some unbelievable defending in Oakland, Justin Smoak's continued hot streak, Rowdy Tellez' offensive profile, injuries to the rotation and the importance of the successes of Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez, and the hand injury to Bo Bichette. They finish the show by playing Swing and a Drive with one of their patrons, answering listener questions and giving out a Do Over for Buck Math.
Greg and Josh go over the first successful week of the Blue Jays' 2019 season. They discuss the success and risk factors for Freddy Galvis' early season surge, Justin Smoak's emergence as an on-base threat, some odd baserunning and clutch fielding, the returns to prominence of Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman and potential for regression, Trent Thornton's recent struggles, Joe Biagini seizing the setup role, Ryan Tepera's return, and conflicting reports about Vladimir Guerrero Jr's debut. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to MLB.
Greg and Josh go over the latest news and notes from the a 2-4 week of Blue Jays baseball. They discuss the hitting troubles against Cleveland and what could be causing some of the problems, the bright spot that has been the incredible starting pitching and late game relief work, a controversial bunt decision during the game against Boston, the incredible steal of home by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. that came from it, the pending returns of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Clay Buchholz and the performance of the former Jays. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to Pat Tabler.
Greg and Josh cover a very newsworthy week in Blue Jays land. First they go over the Kevin Pillar trade by discussing his legacy as a Blue Jay, why it was time for him to go, and the return from the Giants. Next they talk about the acquisition of Socrates Brito and his role with the club, the extension for Randal Grichuk, the injury to Clayton Richard and the recoveries of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Clay Buchholz. They then get into the games themselves for the first time all year, discussing the hitting woes and some of the encouraging signs from starters Aaron Sanchez, Matt Shoemaker, and Trent Thornton. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over.
Before getting into their annual 25 in 50 breakdown, Greg and Josh discuss the trade of Kendrys Morales to the Oakland Athletics and why the Jays made the move. Then take two minutes per player to break down all 24 members of the opening day roster and the two people fighting for the last spot, Bud Norris and Javy Guerra.
R.J. Anderson of CBS stops by to preview the Tampa Bay Rays in the final AL East Preview episode. He talks about the "opener's" contributions to the Rays' success in 2018, the lack of spending this offseason, the various strengths and weaknesses of the rotation and offence, and visits from ghosts in team hotels. Greg and Josh also discuss the rash of injuries to the bullpen (Ryan Tepera, John Axford, Bud Norris) and the effect that will have on the relief corps that the club takes north, the latest setback for Dalton Pompey, the extension signed by Eloy Jimenez and what that could mean for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and the potential return of Jordan Romano to the Blue Jays. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to the Blue Jays.
Jay Jaffe of Fangraphs stop by to preview the New York Yankees. He discussed the non-pursuit of Manny Machado, the current infield with Troy Tulowitzki at SS and DJ LeMahieu in utility role, the pitching depth, the position battle at 1B, and the up and downsides for this team. Greg and Josh also go over the latest spring news including Vlad Jr.'s injury, the rotation announcement, the successes of Bo Bichette and Anthony Alford, and Mark Shapiro's recent comments. Finally they answer listener questions, give two Do Overs, and ponder the recently announced rule changes to MLB.
Jake English of Birds Eye View Baltimore stops by to look ahead at the Orioles as part of the AL East preview series. They go over tips when watching a terrible team and what kinds of things to look forward to from a bottom feeding club. Greg and Josh also discuss the signings of Clay Buchholz and Bud Norris, the effects of those moves both on the roster machinations and the clubhouse chemistry, Devon Travis' continued injury issues, Aaron Sanchez' strong spring debut, and some wonder from Vlad Jr. Finally, they answer listener questions and analyze the potential rule change to add a 26th man to the roster in 2020.
In the first AL East Preview episode of 2019, Matt Kory stops by to talk all things Red Sox. He goes over the inactivity this offseason, the depth in the bullpen following the departures of Joe Kelly (Dodgers) and Craig Kimbrel (unsigned), risk in the rotation, the shallow farm, and the prospects for a repeat division title. Greg and Josh also discuss Ross Atkins' latest comments on Vlad Guerrero Jr. and the media circus that surrounded them, Billy McKinney seeing time at first base and the implications thereof, and the unexpected celebration and words from Troy Tulowitzki following his spring home run off of Marcus Stroman. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out a Gold Star, and ponder the latest evidence that Rob Manfred Hates Baseball.
MLB Player Agent Joshua Kusnick stops by to discuss the state of free agency (24:40). In a passionate interview, Kusnick talks about the way free agency is being handled (from lack of offers for certain types of players to what seem like coordinated offer timings for others), the comments from Rob Manfred, media/fan reaction to the situation, and leaving the game of baseball behind. Greg and Josh (Howsam) also cover Marcus Stroman's comments to the media, the concept of leadership and its presence in the Blue Jays clubhouse, and Freddy Galvis choosing to give up no. 19. They also answer listener questions and go over something the Blue Jays actually won.
With the official start of spring training, Greg and Josh talk about the first news of the season. They discuss John Axford's return to the team, the signing of lefty knuckleballer Ryan "Party Time" Feierabend, Ryan Tepera's loss in arbitration and the issues with the process, and Ross Atkins' season opening comments on the rotation and the debut of Vlad Jr. They also give out a Gold Star, answer listener questions, and analyze the lack of effort from teams around the league this offseason.
Blue Jays SS prospect Kevin Smith (23:50) stops by to discuss adjustments from college to the minors, handling midseason call ups, the importance of the prospect trip to Fort Benning, building team culture, and appearing on prospect rankings.
Greg and Josh also talk about the signing of Freddy Galvis and its impact on the club's other infielders and pitcher trade values, Danny Barnes' DFA, Dalton Pompey's roster situation, Roy Halladay's Hall of Fame induction and cap selection, and the release of the various prospect rankings.
Finally, Greg and Josh answer listener questions, give a Gold Star to a former Blue Jay, and go over Mark Shapiro's comments from Diamond Talks.
Intro music is Slow Burn (Kevin MacLeod) under CC BY 3.0.
Kyle Boddy of Driveline Baseball (29:10) stops by to discuss the work they do at Driveline, the fight to increase the role of analytically driven player development, and the new coaching hires for the Blue Jays. Greg and Josh also go over the Russell Martin trade and his impact on the franchise over the last four years, the signing of David Phelps, Dalton Pompey's potential future role in Toronto, and the role culture plays in the Blue Jays front office decisions. Finally, they answer listener questions and give their results from a fun Twitter game devised by Blue Jays' fan @james_in_to.
Greg, Josh, and Nick go over the recent news surrounding the Blue Jays. They discus the signing of Matt Shoemaker and his pitching changes after returning from injury, the trade for Clayton Richard including potential uses for the lefty and how he fits into a pattern of recent acquisitions, the potential for the team to improve its infield defence, and Troy Tulowitzki's new home. They also answer listener questions, give out a truly baffling Do-Over, and finish with discussion of an intriguing Hall of Fame ballot and what it could mean for other voters going forward
Greg, Josh, and Nick discuss recent Blue Jays news and developments including the release of Troy Tulowitzki, the Rule 5 surprises, Randal Grichuk's future role with the club, moves within the division, and the odds of Bo Bichette cracking the roster in 2019. They are then joined by Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (26:15) to discuss reactions from the floor in Las Vegas, news of Jays' discussions with agents, potential payroll plans, and roster building strategies the team is likely to employ. The guys then answer a few listener questions before speaking with Bennett Brauer, a former minor league GM (49:35) about the minor league version of the Winter Meetings and what is important in season to a minor league baseball team.
Greg and Josh discuss recent news in Blue Jays land. They discuss the 40-man roster additions ahead of the Rule 5 draft, coaching staff changes, Russell Martin trade rumours, the upcoming tender deadline, and the Blue Jays' recently announced promotional schedule. They also answer a couple of listener questions, give out a Do Over to the MLBPA, and give a Gold Star to a recent MLB player.
Greg and Josh break down the news from the early parts of the offseason. They discuss the trade of Aledmys Diaz for Trent Thornthon, the Blue Jays' 40-man decisions and what some of them could mean for future choices, the changes to the coaching staff, and the new TV deal between Fox Sports and MLB. Finally, they answer listener questions, induct a former player into the Gold Star Hall of Fame, and decline to give a third chance to an ESPN personality.
Greg and Josh discuss the end of the World Series and Steve Pearce's heroics, the Blue Jays hiring of manager, Charlie Montoyo, and what he could bring to the table, Ross Atkins' comments about offseason direction and Statcast data use, the Arizona Fall League, Justin Smoak's Gold Glove nomination, and the Mets hiring Brodie Van Wagenen as their new general manager. Finally, they give out a trio of Do Over and answer listener questions.
Greg, Josh, and Nick wrap up the season by pick winners in multiple categories including biggest surprise, most surreal moment, rock bottom point, favourite players to watch, best walk up song, and many more. They also give out award for best/worst hitter, best/worst pitcher, team MVP, and the Do Over of the year.
A huge thanks to all the listeners for sticking it out with us during this dreadful season. We really appreciate it!
Greg and Josh say goodbye to a disappointing Jays season with a look back at the news from the end of the season and the press conferences that followed. They discuss John Gibbons' departure and what type of manager the Jays are apparently looking at going forward, Aaron Sanchez' diagnosis, Ken Giles' "perfect" season, the team's depth in position players and how that will be used in the offseason, how the position players can be upgraded simply with improved defence, the 40-man roster crunch, and Bo Bichette being pulled from the AFL. They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to the now-former manager.
Jay Jaffe of Fangraphs stops by to discuss Team Entropy and the chances for chaos as the rest of the MLB slate unfolds. He takes a specific look at the very tightly-packed National League which currently has five teams battling for three playoff spots. Greg and Josh also discuss the injuries to Aaron Sanchez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Roberto Osuna's return to Toronto, continued solid performances from Thomas Pannone and Ryan Borucki, some rookie success, Aledmys Diaz looking like a useful member of 2019's team, and the uninspiring bullpen depth. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to a former Blue Jay.
Greg and Josh go over the noteworthy stories from the last week. They discuss the latest good start for Aaron Sanchez and the encouraging signs for the future, the good starts from Sean Reid-Foley and Tom Pannone in New York, Randal Grichuk's quietly very solid season, Teoscar Hernández' continued fielding struggles, the massive roster for the team right now that doesn't include Dalton Pompey, and the return of "100 Miles Giles." They also answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to Mike Wilbon of ESPN.
Greg, Josh, and Nick take a look at the last week and a half of the Blue Jays season. They discuss the Josh Donaldson trade in depth, including looking at the legality of it, the emotional reaction, and the quality of the return: Julian "PTBNL" Merryweather. They also discuss the Curtis Granderson trade, Rowdy Tellez' incredible debut run, playing time and outlook for other Jays callups, a mini-debate about calling up Vlad Jr., a look at John Gibbons' future, and the lack of useful projections for Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez going forward. They also answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to Todd Frazier.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news in Blue Jays land including just missing Jose Bautista with the Phillies, Kendrys Morales' incredible run, Aaron Sanchez' return struggles, Arizona Fall League assignments, and Josh Donaldson's confusing rehab stint. They also play Swing and a Drive and answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest Blue Jays News and Notes. They go over Thomas Pannone's sparkling first MLB start and some of the things that stood out about it, Aaron Sanchez' return and Marcus Stroman's injury, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. coming back to chase history, Kendrys Morales' solid numbers, and the competitive balance of the AL East and the rest of baseball. Finally, they answer listener questions, decline to give out a Do Over, and talk about the relationship between David Price and the Boston media.
Greg and Josh take a look at the debuts of Sean Reid-Foley and Danny Jansen and what they showed they can bring the table going forward, discuss Aaron Sanchez' return and what his rest of season performance means for the future of the roster, Curtis Granderson's waiver clearance, Josh Donaldson's qualifying offer situation, and the latest news on John Gibbons' future. They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to Keith Hernandez.
Greg and Josh discuss Ryan Borucki's excellent start to his career including his unusual stuff and homer-suppressing ways, the lack of starting pitching depth and the oddness is creates, Kevin Pillar's superhuman recovery, Lourdes Gurriel's pending return and what it means for the infield, Ryan Tepera and Tyler Clippard turning into pumpkins, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s early impact in Buffalo. Finally they answer listener questions and give a do over to Jayson Werth.
Jeffrey Paternostro of Baseball Prospectus stops by to give his reports on all eight prospects the Blue Jays picked up in July trades, with in depth discussion on Forrest Wall, Hector Perez, Felipe Paulino, and Billy McKinney. Greg and Josh also discuss the Osuna deal from the major league perspective, including the disingenuous comments from Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and the acquisition of Ken Giles. They also talk about the Axford/Loup deals and what the five recent trades have done to roster, potential for August deals, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doing something historic before getting hurt. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh break down the latest salvos in the Blue Jays trade deadline saga. They discuss the returns for Seunghwan Oh and J.A. Happ, what the deals mean for the club now and in the future, and what they could suggest about other upcoming trades. They also talk about Lourdes Gurriel's impressive hit streak and what he could be in the future, and the Jays returning to their sweep-get swept ways. Finally they answer a lot of listener questions brought upon by the trades.
Greg, Josh, and Nick look at the state of the Blue Jays as the second half begins play. They discuss Marcus Stroman's rant, Kevin Pillar's injury and the impact on the roster going forward, Marco Estrada's potential return to the trade market, Justin Smoak putting together another very solid season, J.A. Happ's All-Star game weirdness, the Manny Machado/Brad Hand deals and what they mean for the Jays, and a look at some bullpen arms who could see some post-deadline opportunities. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out a Do-Over, a "Rob Manfred Hates ____" Award, and discuss what they expect to see from the team through the end of the year.
Mike Sonne of The Athletic stops by to discuss the Blue Jays pitchers. He breaks down the Stuff reports for trade candidates, J.A. Happ, John Axford, Seung-hwan Oh, and Tyler Clippard as well as starters Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman, before also discussing how John Gibbon's bullpen usage has affected the Fatigue Unit scores of the key relievers. Finally, Dr. Sonne goes in depth on the Blue Jays bucking the league-wide trend of throwing more breaking balls. Greg and Josh also discuss Happ's recent rough patch and its effect on his trade value, Justin Smoak's return to form, Yangervis Solarte's position on the market, Vlad Jr's pending call up, Oh's recent dominance, and Borucki's continued success. They also answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over.
Greg and Josh dissect the Pearce trade and its future implications, then discuss Marco Estrada's injury and the impact on his value, Jose Bautista's return to Toronto, Roberto Osuna coming back as the closer and the team's handling of that issue, Kevin Pillar's incredible catch, Ryan Borucki's outlier dominance, and Marcus Stroman's issue with his pitch usage. Finally, they give out a Do Over and answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh go over the last week of news and games. They discuss the differences in Marcus Stroman's approach from his return, Ryan Borucki's solid debut outing, Josh Donaldson's crushing injury setback, Kevin Pillar's continued struggles, a magical night for Randal Grichuk, Roberto Osuna's suspension coming down, and the increasing trade stock of J.A. Happ, Seung-hwan Oh, and Marco Estrada. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out a Cliché of the Week, and play Stump the Josh.
Greg, Josh, and Nick break down the latest Blue Jays news and games. They discuss the potential for trades coming from this roster as the team approached the deadline, the recent strong performance of Marco Estrada, Randal Grichuk's improved play since returning from the DL, potential roster logjams created by the returns of Steve Pearce and Marcus Stroman, and what the Jays will do with their catcher situation with the strong play in Buffalo of Danny Jansen. They finish by answering listener questions and giving out a new award.
Greg and Josh go over a week with nice highs and unpleasant lows. They discuss the very strong performance of the rotation the last two times through with specific looks at the success of J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada, the return of Randal Grichuk and its impact on Teoscar Hernández and the outfield as a whole, Solarte and Diaz struggling to fill in for Donaldson and Tulowitzki, the team's issues at the five run plateau and what it means for the likelihood of a sell off. Finally, they answer listener questions, give a combo Do Over and Gold Star, and play Stump the Josh.
Jeffrey Paternostro of Baseball Prospectus stops by to talk about the Blue Jays draft. He talks about how the first five picks need to be viewed collectively, instead of individually, reviews some of the players, and then compares Vlad Jr. to the rest of the league. Greg and Nick also discuss the strong pitching of Marco Estrada and Sam Gaviglio, struggles against the AL East, whether it's time to consider selling, and the injury to Guerrero Jr. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out a Gold Star, and look at reported changes to the baseball.
Greg and Josh discuss the disappointing May for the Blue Jays which includes some nearly historic bad records. They also talk about the ugly defending — which led to utility player Russell Martin — and the pending reinforcements in the form of Aledmys Diaz and Randal Grichuk, a solid stretch for Kendrys Morales, Kevin Pillar turning back into pumpkin, Sam Gaviglio's success, and causes for Marco Estrada's struggles, then they fawn over Vlad Jr. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out a Do-Over, and Greg tries to stump Josh.
Greg, Josh, and Nick go over an unpleasant week of Blue Jays baseball. They discuss the myriad ways the Jays managed to lose games, some of the pitching woes, Kendrys Morales solid stretch, good work from Sam Gaviglio and its impact on Joe Biagini, the return of Dalton Pompey, injury updates and their importance, and the lack of a shortstop on the roster. Finally, they answer listener questions and give MLB a Gold Star.
Ben Badler of Baseball America stops by to discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr and the other prospects he has seen for New Hampshire. He specifically goes into what he thought of Vlad as an amateur, his rare talent for his age, how a promotion to AAA might impact him, and his defending - both now and in the future - before quickly discussin Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio. Greg and Josh also discuss the unbalanced starting rotation, the constant roster shuffling, the continued success of Luke Maile and Teoscar Hernández, and Russel Martin: Super-Utility Player. Finally, they give a Gold Star for a troll job, answer listener questions, give out a Do Over, and discuss the Joey Votto comments.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest Jays news; including the Roberto Osuna assault charges, the depth at shortstop and in the outfield being tested, Yangervis Solarte's magical day, Stroman and Estrada's solid outings and what they mean going forward, and some notes from the farm. They also answer listener questions and give out a triple play of Do-Overs.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest developments for the Blue Jays including Lourdes Gurriel taking over for the demoted Devon Travis, injuries to Steve Pearce and Randal Grichuk clearing the playing time logjam in the outfield and at designated hitter, Teoscar Hernández' improved hitting and adventurous defending, the struggles in the rotation and its future impact on the surging bullpen, and the return of Josh Donaldson to the club and the lineup changes that will follow. Finally, the answer listener questions and give a Do-Over to Keith Hernandez.
Eno Sarris of The Athletic stops by to discuss his latest article that looks at the correlation between launch angle and strikeouts. He discusses the differences between practice testing vs live games, the dual importance of swing angle and plate discipline, the financial impact of the high home run/high strikeout era, and the potential future impact on the game as a whole. Greg and Josh also discuss the returning velocity of Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ's strikeout ways, Curtis Granderson turning back the clock, a couple of performing rookies, and the latest update on Troy Tulowitzki's health and what it means for the roster. Finally, they answer listener questions and look at Gregg Olson's written-down "unwritten" rules of the game.
Greg and Josh break down the latest week in Blue Jays land, with a specific look at the recent four game winning streak and the hot start to the year. They compare some of this season's stats to last years, then discuss the excellent numbers of Luke Maile and Teoscar Hernández, the Josh Donaldson DL stint and its effect on the roster, the early returns on Yangervis Solarte and Gift Ngoepe, Tim Mayza's bizarre start to the year, and the potential return of Joey Bats to the major leagues. Finally they answer listener questions and give MLB/Facebook a Do Over.
With the minor league season also now in full swing, Lansing Lugnuts announer, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, stops by to give listeners a preview of what to expect from some of the players in the system. He discusses the former Lansing duo of Vlad Jr. and Bo Bichette, the Blue Jays' habit of skipping top draft pick college players over Lansing and how that helps the organization, lists a few players in Lansing who are going to be on people's radar screens in the near future, and discusses some of the other players with big league bloodlines in the system. Greg and Josh also look at Aaron Sanchez' near no-no and changes he has made, Roberto Osuna's milestone, a swing-and-miss Happ and a wild Stroman, a top-heavy lineup, and continued late-game run scoring. Finally, they answer listener questions and discuss the latest bizarre Rob Manfred news.
Greg and Josh break down a very successful first week in Blue Jays land, with a 4-2 record. They discuss the strange dominance of opposing bullpens and keeping games close, the up and down starting rotation, extremely positive signs from Aledmys Diaz and Justin Smoak, a worrying sign from Seung-hwan Oh, and Josh Donaldson's "dead" arm. They also answer listener questions, give the Twins a Do-Over and debut the new segment, "How Not to Baseball with Gabe Kapler."
Greg, Josh, and Nick look ahead at the upcoming Toronto Blue Jays season with their annual "25 in 50" preview episode. The trio spend 2 minutes talking about each of the 25 players slated to make the opening day roster with a quick chat about a couple of players still on the roster bubble. Real baseball is back!
In the final episode of the AL East Preview Series, Stacey Gostulias of Baseball Prospectus looks ahead at the Yankees (15:17) and Matt Kory, also of BP, takes a look at the reigning division champion Boston Red Sox (45:23). Greg and Josh also talk about the signing of Danny Espinosa, the performance of the super duo of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, give injury updates on Steve Pearce, Randal Grichuk, and Anthony Alford, and discuss what the return of Marcus Stroman to health does and should mean for Joe Biagini. Finally, they answer listener questions and get upset with MLB for its role in Congress including a provision to limit minor league pay in the latest omnibus bill.
Greg, Josh, and Nick discuss the recent news from spring training. They take a look at the early returns from Aaron Sanchez and his recovery from blister issues, Anthony Alford's hot start to the spring before getting hurt, Marcus Stroman's return to mound work but losing the opening day starter nod, how areas of depth can or can't help mitigate certain specific injuries the club is dealing with, and a finish with a look at how some moves around the league affect the Blue Jays postseason chances.
R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports stops by to preview the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the AL East Preview Series. He discusses the recent controversy caused by the club's latest moves, the grievance filed by the MLBPA against the club, and the outlook for the team after all the offseason changes. Greg and Josh also discuss Russell Martin's power surge and his importance to the club, the signing of Tyler Clippard, injury updates for Marcus Stroman and Steve Pearce, and Mark Shapiro's comments about the depth of the Blue Jays upper farm system. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to another former Sportsnet media personality.
In the first episode of the AL East season preview series, Jake English of Bird's Eye View stops by to talk about the Orioles' offseason, their choices to stay the course, Adam Jones and his defensive future, and the best and worst case scenarios for last year's division basement dweller. Greg, Josh, and Nick also discuss the intriguing notes from the early spring games including Curtis Granderson's power, Anthony Alford's strong showing, and Roberto Osuna's velocity. They also discuss the signing of Seung-hwan Oh, the release of Ezequiel Carrera, Marcus Stroman's shoulder inflammation, and Sportsnet's new pre-game crew. Finally, they answer listener questions and hand out 2017's first Cliché of the Week.
Greg and Josh break down the latest news of the week starting with the impacts of the confusing offseasons of the Rays and Orioles and the Red Sox' signing of J.D. Martinez. Then they discuss the impasse in Josh Donaldson's contract negotiations, the Blue Jays lack of desire for a new backup catcher, Marcus Stroman's new delivery, and Aaron Sanchez and Devon Travis' progression in injury recovery. Finally, they answer listener questions, give a Gold Star to Dan Haren and Jered Weaver, and hand out a Do Over for a bizarre rumour.
Greg and Josh break down the news of the last week in Blue Jays land with a look at the signing of Jaime Garcia, what that and potential future moves mean for Joe Biagini, and how the depth signings of Craig Breslow, John Axford, and Jake Petricka fit into the mix. They also discuss the early news from spring about Devon Travis, Troy Tulowitzki, and Aaron Sanchez, the retirement of broadcast legend Jerry Howarth, and the opening day tribute and jersey retirement for the late Roy Halladay. They also answer listener questions, give out a Do Over, and introduce a new, once-a-year segment, "The First Goose Sighting of Spring."
Emily Waldon of The Athletic Detroit stops by to discuss the treatment of minor leaguers including the low pay, non-baseball requirements, movements for change, and what people can do to help. Greg and Josh also talk about the war of words between players, agents, and the MLB, Joe Biagini's viability as a 5th starter and the subsequent impact on the rest of the pitching staff, and the current offensive roster and the many options it presents for manager John Gibbons. Finally, they answer listener questions and give a Do Over to a player agent.
Player agent Joshua Kusnick stops by to discuss prepping for free agency, fallout from the slow offseason, and how he helps his players deal with the extremely long waiting game. Shi Davidi also join the show to talk about the slew of Jays moves and what they likely mean going forward this offseason. He also goes into the current payroll situation and how he believes they will allocate their remaining funds. Greg and Nick discuss the Randal Grichuk trade, the rumour that the Jays came second place in the Christian Yelich sweepstakes, and the apparently immovable Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Finally, they give out a Do Over to a former Blue Jay.
Greg and Josh are joined by Nick Dika as they discuss the latest two pickups by the Toronto Blue Jays. First, they talk about the trade for Yangervis Solarte and the versatility that he brings to the club, then they discuss how newly signed Curtis Granderson fits into the roster and debate what it can/should mean for the club going forward. They also tackle the incredibly slow offseason and talk of collusion/other market effects, with particular focus on the facts presented in Jeff Passan's latest column for Yahoo Sports. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out two Do Overs, and hand out a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh take a look at some of the causes for the extremely slow start to the offseason before breaking down rumours involving Josh Harrison and J.D. Martinez, as well as Josh Donaldson extension talks. They also discuss Baseball Prospectus' Top 10 Blue Jays prospect list and Anthony Alford's success in the Mexican League before finishing things up by answering listener questions.
With the Blue Jays still not having made a move since the Aledmys Diaz acquisition, Greg and Josh instead take a look at how the moves by the Angels (Ohtani, Kinsler, Cozart), Yankees (Stanton), Rays (Trading Longoria), and Orioles (Britton achilles rupture) affect the Blue Jays and their likely plans for the rest of the offseason. They also explore the latest round of Josh Donaldson trade rumors and discuss the release of Baseball America's top 10 Blue Jays prospects and the glowing reports on Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Finally they answer listener questions, give a Do Over, and go over some of the fun reactions to Derek Jeter's Town Hall event in Miami.
ESPN's Dan Szymborski stops by to discuss his ZiPS projections for the Blue Jays in 2018, with specific discussion about the middle infield, Aaron Sanchez, and the general direction of the team. Greg, Josh, and Nick then discuss the Aledmys Diaz pickup, Shohei Ohtani not joining the Jays, the non-tenders of Ryan Goins and Tom Koehler, the Marcus Stroman/Jeff Blair feud, and Gregg Zaun being fired by Sportsnet. They also answer listener questions and bring on a Patron to play Swing and a Drive.
Greg and Josh discuss the recent Jays and MLB News including the seemingly bizarre J.D. Martinez-Blue Jays rumour and different routes the Blue Jays could go this offseason, the recent 40-man additions, the trade for Gift Ngoepe, the latest, seemingly final twist in the Shohei Ohtani posting saga, and the heavy sanctions laid against the Atlanta organization for various violations. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over to Joe Morgan and the Baseball Hall of Fame.
A tribute episode to Roy Halladay, following his tragic death. Scott Crawford, Director of Operations for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame stops by to discuss his memories from Halladay's recent induction weekend and his impact on baseball in Canada. Greg and Josh then share their own memories of the great Blue Jays ace and his impact on their lives. Finally, they get read some Halladay stories from their listeners and talk about their view of Roy Halladay's five best starts of his career.
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet stops by to discuss the recent Blue Jays staff changes, Ross Atkins' "Impact" bat/arm comments, the upcoming offseason, and the idea that the Jays should go for it again in 2018. Greg and Josh also give their thoughts on the World Series (including predictions), run down the performance of Jays prospects in the Arizona Fall League and the Dominican Winter League, and look at a potential 2018 outfield. Finally, they give their own thoughts on competing in 2018, answer listener questions, and give out a Do Over.
Greg, Josh, and Nick break down the entire 2017 season by giving out individual awards. There are the obvious ones such as Team MVP, Best Hitter, of Best Pitcher, but the guys also nominate their own candidates for Best Quote, Clutch Performer, Best Dive, The Not-Pat-Venditte Award, Do Over of the Year, and more.
Greg and Josh go over the final week of the season and the decisions and press conferences from the immediate aftermath. They discuss Jose Bautista's final games and the declining of his option, Josh Donaldson's desire to remain in Toronto, the early outlook for the upcoming offseason based on comments from Ross Atkins, the murky future for Devon Travis, and the ballot goofiness from the Blue Jays team award voting. They also answer listener questions and give out two Do Overs, one to MLB and one the Giancarlo Stanton.
2016 first round draft pick T.J. Zeuch stops by to discuss life leading up to the draft, how he picked his university, the nomadic lifestyle of a recent draftee, and prepping for the upcoming Arizona Fall League. Greg and Josh also go deep on the legacy and (likely) final home days for Jose Bautista, the unreal finish for Josh Donaldson, the Bautista-esque September from Teoscar Hernandez, and Marcus Stroman's quest for 200 innings. Finally, they take listener questions and give out a Cliché of the Week and a Gold Star.
Sung Min Kim of Sporting News stops by talk Shohei Otani and what we could be in the big leagues, the posting systems in Japan and Korea, and other potential stars we could see being posted over the next couple of years. Greg and Josh also discuss the Marco Estrada extension, Jose Bautista's farewell tour, Roberto Osuna's increased velocity, faces of the franchise, and a truly 2017 Toronto Blue Jays moment. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out Do Overs to Mark Shapiro and Matt Dermody.
Greg and Josh discuss the recent news in Blue Jays land starting with the recent four game winning streak (and two wins over the Orioles). They continue with a breakdown of Joe Biagini's odd recent string of starts, take a look at the play (and projection) of the September call ups, express disappointment at Aaron Sanchez being shut down, parse Ross Atkins' words, and examine the recently released 2018 schedule. Finally, they answer listener questions, give a Do Over to the Blue Jays stadium ops, look at a bizarre ESPN segment, and talk about Darwin Barney's failed attempt at a slide.
Josh and Greg run down every DL trip so far in 2017, then ask whether Roberto Osuna should be there too. They also make important rulings about four home run games and four strikeout innings, look at some September callups, and discuss Brett Anderson's success and Twitter comments. Following that, they talk with Emily Waldon of 2080 Baseball about a host of Blue Jays still making their way through the minor leagues, featuring Anthony Alford, Vlad Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and more. Finally, they hand out their most generous Do-Over ever to the Red Sox.
Former major league pitcher David Aardsma stops by to talk about playing out the string on a losing club, dealing with watching the game while injured from the sidelines, and MLB's current issues with the juiced ball. Greg and Nick also discuss the debut of Brett Anderson, Joe Biagini's attempt to rejoin the rotation, another week of poor play from the Jays, and the new Player's Weekend. Finally, they answer listener questions, give a Do Over to the Texas Rangers, and a Gold Star to die hard Blue Jays fans.
Dr. Mike Sonne stops by to discuss red flags that are appearing both in Roberto Osuna's Stuff rating and his workload, as measured by Dr. Sonne's Fatigue Units statistic. He also discusses the Jays bullpen as a whole and how the stuff metric can be used to potentially show injuries. Greg and Josh then quickly discuss the nightmarish end to the Cubs series, Josh Donaldson's extreme hot streak, and goofy injuries before talking about the Golden Sombrero and the fastest pitch ever thrown. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do Over to the MLB Umpires.
Greg, Josh, and Nick discuss the relatively successful last week of Blue Jays baseball. They talk about the crazy AL Wild Card race, Marco Estrada's waiver claim, Jose Bautista's hot streak, Marcus Stroman becoming a true staff ace, the constant injury roster shuffle, the signing of Brett Anderson, Aaron Sanchez to the pen, and the mystery of Rob Refsnyder. They also answer listener questions and give out Gold Stars to Ryan Goins and Ian Kinsler.
Greg and Josh break down the recent news and stories from Blue Jays land with discussions on Roberto Osuna's struggles/odd pitch usage, Josh Donaldson and Marco Estrada's returns to form, Kevin Pillar and Ryan Goins' mirror struggles/successes, a banged up rotation and its effects on the bullpen, and a helping hand from former friend Francisco Liriano. They also answer a slew of listener questions, give a Do Over to the Texas Rangers broadcast, and hand out a Cliché of the Week.
Nick Dika joins Greg and Josh to break down the last week of Jays, with a long look at the Blue Jays deadline moves and the impacts made by Francisco Liriano and Joe Smith during their time as Blue Jays. They also discuss Steve Pearce's magical week, Justin Smoak's continued dominance, a brief return to form from Marco Estrada, Josh Donaldson hitting slightly better, and Jose Bautista's struggles. Finally, they answer listener questions and give a Do Over to some MLB Umps.
To take a break from the depressing nature of discussing the 2017 Blue Jays, Greg and Josh decide to talk baseball movies instead. They review "Moneyball" and the documentary "Fastball", while also touching on Major League (of course), A League of Their Own, Bull Durham, and more via listener questions.
Former Blue Jays Assistant Hitting Coach Eric Owens stops by to discuss working with major and minor league hitters, the issues plaguing the recent Blue Jays clubs, Josh Donaldson's swing techniques, and why many clubs now have two hitting coaches. Greg and Josh then discuss the returning members of the Blue Jays bullpen, the continues excellence of Marcus Stroman and Roberto Osuna, the struggles of Marco Estrada and the defence, and Dalton Pompey's sad tale. They also answer listener questions and discuss the trades from around the league and their impact on the Blue Jays.
Greg and Josh break down the last week in the Blue Jays and baseball world. They discuss the recent 3-2 Jays week that somehow included two disaster losses, the returns to form of Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki, Roberto Osuna's All-Star appearance and Marcus Stroman's absence, the struggles of the returning Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada and John Gibbons' recent performance, and the promotions of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. They also answer listener questions, give out a Do Over, and discuss some of the fun from All-Star week.
Matt Kory of Baseball Prospectus stops by to discuss the recent Jays' massacre at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, the mastery of Chris Sale, and to look at the odd struggles of the Toronto Blue Jays against even mediocre arms. Greg and Josh also discuss Justin Smoak's All-Star starter nod, the pickup of Miguel Montero, J.A. Happ's success, the offensive struggles, Marcus Stroman's blister conspiracy, and the dominance of Lansing's duo of Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette Jr. Finally, they answer listener questions, give out a Do-Over, and try to make sense of the Angel Hernandez lawsuit against MLB.
The Ringer and Effectively Wild's Ben Lindbergh drops by to talk about his recent piece on the effect of the ball on the home run surge across baseball. He goes over his findings relating to the bounce of the ball and the lower seams, the cause/effect relationship of the new ball and the "flyball" revolution, and looks at why the home run increase is larger in the middle, as opposed to the big boppers. Greg and Josh also discuss the recent Jays play, including notes on the departure of Jason Grilli, the returns of Ezequiel Carrera and Michael Saunders, Justin Smoak's All-Star surge, and the return to form of Steve Pearce. They also give out a Do-Over, answer listener questions and give a Gold Star to John Gibbons for his handling of the Roberto Osuna issue.
Greg and Josh break down the latest 3-3 week in Blue Jays land. They look at the strange problems the starters seem to have when faced with a potential .500 record, the fun comeback against the Rangers, Marco Estrada's struggles, Justin Smoak continuing to swing a hot bat, Kevin Pillar having issues both at the plate and in the field, and the untimely injuries to Joe Smith and his replacement, Leonel Campos. They also play Swing and a Drive with Patreon donor Dave Church, answer listener questions, and give out a Do-Over.
Burke Granger of 2080 Baseball stops by to discuss the 2017 draft. He gives reports on the first few players taken by the Jays in the draft, then discusses some surprised from day 1, the process for amateur scouts, and how they compile their rankings at 2080 baseball. Greg and Josh then discuss the last week in Jays land, with a look at the failure to reach .500, the dominance of Roberto Osuna and Justin Smoak, the struggles of Marco Estrada, and the return to health and form of J.A. Happ. Finally, they answer listener question and give out a Do-Over to the Los Angeles Angels.
Greg and Josh go over the last week of stories from the Blue Jays' 4-3 week. They go over the games against the Yankees and Reds, touch on the triumphant return to superstardom (and health) of Josh Donaldson, the latest injury to Devon Travis, Francisco Liriano and Joe Biagini's rest of the season outlooks, and the J.P. Howell/Jason Grilli conundrum. They also give out THREE Do-Overs, and talk about the unlikely four homer game from Scooter Gennett.
In a special bonus interview episode, Eno Sarris of Fangraphs stops by to discuss Joey Votto's unique approach to hitting with focus on the ways he has adapted to the pitchers' attack patterns, changed his swing path, and the mental aspect of hitting. He also discusses the mood in AT&T park after the Strickland/Harper altercation, Strickland's reaction, and how things could play out going forward.
Greg, Josh, and Nick break down the very successful last week in Blue Jays land with a specific look at the surging Devon Travis, the returning Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki, a finally full starting rotation, and the Rangers falling apart whenever they play the Blue Jays. They also discuss the Giants-Nationals brawl, answer listener questions, and give out a Do Over to Buck Martinez.
Greg and Josh break down the last week of news in Blue Jays land. They discuss the resurgent bullpen that is being led by surprising performers Ryan Tepera and Danny Barnes, a tremendous performance by Marco Estrada, the improved hitting from Jose Bautista and Devon Travis, and the constant shuffling of injured players on the Blue Jays roster. They also answer listener questions, give out two Do-Overs, and play Stump the Josh.
Jesse Goldberg-Strassler stops by to discuss the Jays minor league system with a specific focus on the loaded Lansing Lugnuts roster. He gives his views on wunderkinds Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, the phenomenon that is Bradley Jones, and gives his view on some AAA players who could help the big league club in a pinch. Greg and Josh also discuss the winning streak, the hot hitting of Kevin Pillar, Devon Travis, and Justin Smoak, the returns to health of some key Jays performers, and the defensive lapses of the most recent games. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out both a Do Over and Gold Star.
Mike Petriello of MLB.com stops by to discuss Statcast and its effect on our ability to understand what is going on in the game of baseball. He goes into depth on the process by which stats are created, discusses some stats that didn't work out as hoped, and goes into the notion that Statcast can be overbearing at time for viewers. Greg and Josh also discuss the 3-3 week, the mounting injuries (this time to Russell Martin and Kendrys Morales), the resurgence of Roberto Osuna, the rotation shuffle, and Kevin Pillar's incredible catch against Cleveland. Finally, they answer listener questions and Josh attemps to handle two Stump the Josh questions!
Dr. Mike Sonne of BP Toronto and Rotographs stops by to discuss his Fatigue Units stat and factors that help predict/prevent injury with a specific look at Roberto Osuna, while also taking a look at the Blue Jays pitching staff through the lens of his STUFF metric. Greg and Josh discuss the brief glimpse at hope that came with the three game winning streak, a slightly improved offense, give updates on the injuries to Aaron Sanchez, Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowizki, and J.A. Happ, and break down a crazy 2-run sacrifice fly. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a gold star to John Gibbons.
Greg and Josh break down the first week for the 2017 Blue Jays that included "wins." They discuss the hot bats of Kevin Pillar and Justin Smoak, the early season struggles of Roberto Osuna, the strong pitching from the healthy starters, and a few bizarre plays from the week which culminted in Chris Coghlan's heroic dive. They also invite one of their Patreon donors onto the podcast to play "Swing and a Drive," before finishing up with listener questions and a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh look back on the four-game set with the Orioles and all its accompanying fallout. They discuss the injuries to Josh Donaldson, J.A. Happ, and Aaron Sanchez, the continued ghastly hitting, the strong starting pitching from those who remain healthy, and some quality bullpen performance from some not-so-average Joes. They also give Starling Marte a Do-Over, discuss a potential new MLB rules quirk, and answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh look back at the rough start to the season for the Blue Jays, focusing on the toothless offense and what exactly had gone wrong there, the mostly strong pitching staff, the return of Jose Bautista's arm, and a nice welcome to the club for Kendrys Morales. They also give Rob Manfred yet another Do Over and answer listener questions.
Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell stops by to discuss the upcoming broadcast plans, look back at last year's playoff run and subsequent up and down offseason, and look ahead the upcoming season. Greg, Josh and Nick also talk about the Upton/Goins and Tepera/Bolsinger roster decisions, Roberto Osuna's injury, and give their thoughts from Opening Day. They also answer listener questions and give out an April Fools themed Do-Over.
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In their annual 25 in 50 episode, Greg and Josh cover the entire (likely) opening day roster, with two minute breakdowns of each player (and a brief mention of a possible replacement), as well as their picks for the most important pitcher and hitter.
Danny Russell of DRays Bay stop by to discuss the Rays in the final episode of the AL East preview series. They go over the Archer-led pitching staff, with a look at some of the confusing trade rumours, the Drew Smyly deal, Evan Longoria's 2016 resurgence, and the jam-packed Tampa outfield. Greg and Josh also discuss the Aaron Sanchez contract issue, John Gibbons sticking around for another few years, the pending full returns of Josh Donaldson and Devon Travis, Francisco Liriano's dominance, and the messy left field situation.
Jake English of Birds Eye View stops by to preview the Baltimore Orioles are part of the 2017 AL East preview series. He discusses the continual lack of strength/depth in the rotation, Chris Tillman's injury, the slugging offense, and some fancy roster maneuvering by Dan Duquette. Greg and Josh also discuss the recent returns to "action" for Josh Donaldson and Devon Travis, Kendrys Morales' continued spring success, Canada's abysmal showing in the World Baseball classic, Jose Bautista and Marcus Stroman's STRONG showings, and some approach changes for Kevin Pillar and Justin Smoak. They also give Do-Overs to the Blue Jays social media team and Peter Gammons.
Matt Kory of Baseball Prospectus stops by to discuss the Red Sox as part of the AL East preview series. He discusses the issues related to David Price's health, compares the Jays rotation to the one in Boston, and looks at which hitters are likely to get better, and which ones are likely to regress. Greg and Josh also discuss the lingering injury to Devon Travis, the rumors surrounding Brett Lawrie, the spring debuts of Steve Pearce and Troy Tulowitzki, Angel Pagan rumours, and Josh's observations from Florida. They also answer listener questions, and give out a Do-Over and a Gold Star.
In the first AL East preview episode of the year, BP Bronx's Stacey Gotsulias stops by to preview the New York Yankees with discussion about the suspect pitching, the upside and unrealistic expecations of the young hitters, and the villainous Randy Levine. Greg and Josh also go over the news from the first week of Spring Training games, including Joe Biagini's 2017 role, the health of Josh Donaldson, Kendrys Morales' power, the impressive Rowdy Tellez, and notes on performances of Mat Latos and Marcus Stroman. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a Do-Over.
Blue Jays pitcher Mike Bolsinger stops by to discuss reaction to his 2016 trade to the Blue Jays, battling for a job in spring training, transitioning from the rotation to the bullpen, and pitch selection. Greg, Josh, and a returning Chris also discuss the latest spring news, including Josh Donaldson's injury, Kevin Pillar's planned change in approach, Devon Travis' potential with the bat, Russell Martin at the WBC, and Jose Bautista contract talk. Finally they answer a bunch of listener questions, give two Do-Overs, and make a special announcement.
Greg Hamilton, coach and director of national teams for Baseball Canada, stops by to discuss Canada's World Baseball Classic team. He details the selection process for the roster, the need for a blend of youth and experience, and how the team reacted to the absence of so many top players. Greg and Josh also break down the last couple weeks of Blue Jays news with a look at the Joe Smith and Mat Latos signings, Aaron Sanchez' being let loose, and the loss of the latest "Catcher of the Future." Finally, they answer listener questions and give a Do-Over to their good buddy, Rob Manfred.
Greg and Josh discuss the recent signing of left-handed reliever, J.P. Howell, with a look at what role he will fill in the Blue Jays pen and how he compares to other reported options. They also discuss other rumoured free agent targets, Blue Jays prospects and their placements on top prospect lists, and Roy Halladay's election to the Candian Baseball Hall of Fame. Finally, the guys answer a bunch of listener questions and give a Do-Over to Hal Steinbrenner.
Greg and Josh discuss Jose Bautista's return to Toronto with a look at what he means to the Jays and their fans, his polarizing nature, and how he may be used going forward, as well as a break down of the unusual minutiae in his one year contract. They also discuss the Andrew McCutchen trade rumours, the somewhat unusual Blue Jays arbitration cases, and the Hall of Fame results. Finally, they answer a bunch of listener questions and give out both a Do-Over and a Gold Star.
In Part 2 of the Hall of Fame episode, Greg and Josh are joined first by Sam Mellinger of the KC Star to discuss the pressure of being a first time voter and the differences between filling out a theoretical one and one that will actually count towards the final tally. They also speak to Ben Lindbergh of The Ringer and the Effecitvely Wild podcast about the reasons behind the surge in voting for Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, whether the final ballot effect is the reason for Tim Raines' push, and challenges created by the current Hall of Fame voting system.
In Part 1 of the two-part Hall of Fame episode of Artificial Turf Wars, Greg and Josh speak to Jay Jaffe about his JAWS metric, how many writers use the stat in determining their own ballots, players he feels are under-served by Hall of Fame voting, and the best players on this year's ballot. They also discuss Jay's upcoming book, The Cooperstown Casebook. Greg and Josh also briefly discuss Jays news concerning Edwin's departure to Cleveland, Jose Bautista rumours, and Aaron Sanchez' new representation before answering listener questions.
Part 2 will be released on Thursday morning.
Greg and Josh discuss the latest news surrounding Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, the extremely slow offseason, and the apparently Blue Jays strategies to fill their remaining roster holes. They also give out a Do Over, take a trip down memory lane to visit a man temporarily called Ralph, and answer a bunch of listener questions.
Greg, Josh, and Nick break down the happenings (and not) from the Winter Meetings in Washington, D.C. They start by discussing the value of recent Blue Jays signing Steve Pearce, then look at the fallout from the Chris Sale trade, Edwin Encarnacion's market crash, Dexter Fowler rumours, Ian Desmond's bizarre contract from the Rockies, and a minor league signing. Finally, the trio gives out a Do-Over and tackle the Cliché of the Week, "Won the Winter."
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet stops by to discuss the upcoming Winter Meetings, the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the Jays offseason plans as they relate to budget and potential free agent targets. Greg and Josh also discuss Brett Cecil's departure, Edwin Encarnacion rumours, and then run down the numerous players to whom the Jays have been connected this offseason. Finally, they discuss some of the new CBA's ramifications and answer listener questions.
Greg and Josh break down the recent signings of Kendrys Morales and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., then they go over the Bautista/Encarnacion qualifying offer decisions and their ramifications, the reported offer to Brett Cecil, and some of the goofiness that came along with the Cy Young voting results. They also answer some listener questions and wish a speedy recovery to Jerry Howarth in his fight with prostate cancer.
MLBPA Certified Player Agent, Joshua Kusnick stops by to discuss the agent role in CBA talks, planning stages for arbitration hearings, the relationship between player and agent, and how an agent must distance themself from their fandom. He also shares a fun story about how he signed one of his current clients. Greg, Josh, and Nick then tee up the offseason with a look at Blue Jays qualifying offers, the markets for Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, and potential free agent fits for the club. They also answer listener questions, discuss Kevin Pillar's Gold Glove loss, and decided to have some fun with a new game.
Nick Dika joins Greg and Josh to recap the ups and downs of the 2016 season. They go over a bunch of categories ranging from the best moments of the year and top hitters and pitchers on the team, to the most surreal moment and when it really felt like rock bottom. There are plenty of highs to discuss, plenty of lows, and a couple of straight up confusing moments. Finally, they top it all off by awarding the Do-Over of the year and then sharing their final overall thoughts on the season that was.
Greg and Josh react to a tough ALCS loss to Cleveland in five games, with a specific look at what went wrong with the offense - other than a select few players - the solid starting and incredible relief pitching, the futures of Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, and the overall insanity of the postseason. They also give out a Do-Over to yet further inaccuracy from the TBS broadcast and then answer a whole slate of listener questions.
Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs stops by to preview the upcoming ALCS with a focus on the liberal use of platoons, the deep Andrew Miller-led bullpen and its effect on the depleted Cleveland rotation, and specific matchups between the two clubs. Greg and Josh then go back over the ALDS against Texas game by game, highlighting specific things that stood out from the series and what they could mean going forward. They also address the health of Devon Travis and Francisco Liriano, answer listener questions, and give out a couple of Do-Overs.
Jamie Campbell of Blue Jays Central on Sportsnet stops by the podcast to discuss the crazy Wild Card game against Baltimore and to lay the groundwork for the upcoming ALDS series against the Texas Rangers. Greg and Josh also break down the game, with a look at special performances from the two big sluggers, the beleaguered bullpen, and the surprising Ezequiel Carrera. They also discuss the Roberto Osuna injury and the last few games of the regular season. Finally, they answer a bunch of listener questions and give a unique Do-Over to the person tossed a beer at Baltimore's Hyun-soo Kim.
Greg and Josh discuss the tragic passing of José Fernández and his impact on both the Marlins and the baseball world at large, the ill-timed Blue Jays bench-clearing melée and the injury-related fallout, the stellar starting pitching and the not so stellar bullpen, Jose Bautista's comic-book hero status, and the slumping lineup. They also answer a bunch of listener questions, give out a Do-Over to the Sportsnet graphics crew for their erroneous ERA leaderboard, decide Steve Clevenger does NOT deserve Do Over rights, and hand out a Cliché of the Week.
Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated stops by to discuss his support for "Team Entropy" - the chaos that can be created when there are multiple teams tied for playoff spots. He runs down some of the potential fun of this year's pennant race, while also weighing in on playoff roster sizes and series regulations. Greg and Josh also discuss Marco Estrada's bounceback start, Edwin Encarnacion's impressive season, the Blue Jays second home in Seattle, and the still slumping offence. Finally, they answer listener questions, discuss some fun Jays stats from the past week, and give out a special award to Rick Porcello.
Greg and Josh go over the last week in Blue Jays land with a focus on the strange offensive approach and struggles, the ineffective middle relief, and the inconsistent defence. They also discuss Josh Donaldson's injury and its potential impact on the team, the hiring of Ben Cherington, the resurgence of Brett Cecil, and some of the new Blue Jays ticketing plans. They finish things off with listene questions, a couple of Gold Stars, and a Do-Over that hits a little close to home.
Matt Kory of Baseball Prospectus (and many other sites) stops by to discuss the upcoming battle between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays with a note on which hitters and pitchers are coming in playing well. He also discusses the challenges that Yoan Moncada faces as a young prospect who has been thrust into the spotlight of pennant race and the Mookie Betts/Josh Donaldson MVP race battle. Greg and Josh also lament the extremely sorry state of the Jays in the last week, with a specific look at struggling hitters and pitchers. Finally, they answer questions from depressed listeners and give a half do-over to some announcers around the league.
Jesse Goldberg-Strassler of the Lansing Lugnuts stops by to discuss some of the prospects that have made their way through the affiliate this season, as well as a general look at the organizational strength in developing pitchers. Greg and Josh also discuss the return of Dioner Navarro to Toronto, the offensive explosion against the Minnesota Twins and the excellent starting pitching against Baltimore, Aaron Sanchez' dominance of righthanded hitters, Josh Donaldson's "hat trick," and the interesting ways the Jays can line up their rotation. Finally they go over September callups and answer some listener questions.
Dr. Alan Nathan, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois and Physics of Baseball researcher stops by to discuss his work on the potential causes for the spike in home runs this season as well as the increased speed of the ball off the bat. Greg and Josh also discuss some positive trade outcomes, the returns of Jose Bautista and Kevin Pillar (and their effects on the lineup), Aaron Sanchez' brief stop in Dunedin, the improvements of Melvin Upton Jr., and the pending Edwin Encarnacion lawsuit. Finally, they answer listener questions and give out a couple of Do-Overs.
Greg and Josh break down the last week in Blue Jays land, with a look at the 5-2 record, the offensive ups and downs that led to shutouts and outbursts, the hot streaks from Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki, a fun outcome from a Josh Donaldson/John Gibbons dugout clash, the reinforcements for the bottom of the batting order, the continued brilliance of J.A. Happ, and a suddenly lock down bullpen. They also answer listener questions before giving out two Do-Overs and providing Bartolo Colon with a Gold Star.
Greg and Nick take a look at the Blue Jays week against Kansas City and Tampa Bay where the offense continued to struggle, a sixth man was added to the rotation, as well as Kevin Pillar hitting the DL for the first time in his career. The bullpen continues to swap out parts looking for the right fit, and we try and guess who gets the call in place of Danny Barnes. The listeners provide a couple of deep questions (maybe not intentionally), and we touch on the impending retirement of Tex, A-Rod and Prince.
Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stops by to discuss the Francisco Liriano to Toronto deal with a focus on how the move is being received in Pittsburgh, the value and upside of the prospects in the deal, and what the Blue Jays can expect to get out of the mercurial lefty. Greg and Josh also discuss the recent series against the Orioles and the ongoing one against Houston, the strange handling of the message in the Aaron Sanchez situation by the Blue Jays, the offensive struggles, and Marcus Stroman's recent resurgence. Finally, the guys answer listener questions and give out a Gold Star to Joey Votto.
Dr Mike Sonne rejoins the podcast to discuss his latest study. The talk (and piece) focuses on different stresses on pitchers that suggest a move to the bullpen for Aaron Sanchez may not make sense. Greg and Josh also discuss the trades for Melvin Upton Jr. and Joaquin Benoit, some quirks from the 12 inning game, J.A. Happ's return to his Pittsburgh ways, Aaron Sanchez' dominance, and the struggles of Josh Thole. Finally, the guys give Do Overs to some of their favourite targets, Pat Tabler and MLB.
Adam McIntuff of Baseball Prospectus' scouting/prospects team stops by to discuss some of the better prospects in the Jays system as the team heads into the non-waiver trade deadline. Greg and Josh also go over the post-break slate of games, with a particular focus on the leaky bullpen and its potential reinforcements, Marcus Stroman's adjustments, the returns of Jose Bautista and Chris Colabello, and the tight race in the AL East. Finally, they give out a Do Over and Josh suggests actually rooting for the Yankees in the short term.
Dan Szymborski of ESPN.com stops by to go over the ZiPS projections for Blue Jays players in the second half (with focus on J.A. Happ, Troy Tulowitzki, and Russell Martin), discuss All Star break fun, and to play Swing and a Drive. Greg and Josh also talk about the pre-break, four game set against the Tigers, with special focus on the pitching of Happ and R.A. Dickey. They also break down the All-Star game festivities - including a bit of marveling at the wonder that is Giancarlo Stanton - before looking ahead to the upcoming games against the AL and NL West. Finally, the guys answer listener questions and turn the Do Over gaze inward.
Kate Morrison of Baseball Prospectus stops by the podcast to discuss the recent Save America's Pastime Act, why MLB wants it put in, and how it can affect the livelihoods of minor leaguers, all while dispelling an important myth about minor league team viability. Greg and Josh break down the recent slate of play, including the Canada Day marathon and its fallout, Troy Tulowitzki's rennaissance, Marcus Stroman's turnaround, the All-Star selections of Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Marco Estrada. Estrada's DL stint was also covered, as well as his possible replacement. Finally, the boys give a Do-Over to Buck Martinez and answer a whole bunch of listener questions.
Hazel Mae of Sportsnet stops by the podcast to discuss Troy Tulowitzki's return to Colorado, the difference between her broadcast work in the USA and Canada, and the preparation involved with on-field interviews. Then Greg, Josh, and guest host Nick Dika discuss the latest Aaron Sanchez news, Marcus Stroman's adjustments, Devon Travis' offensive surge, the injury to Gavin Floyd, and the pending returns of Brett Cecil and Franklin Morales. They also answer listener questions, give out a Do-Over, and a Gold Star.
Greg and Josh discuss Marcus Stroman's struggles, Michael Saunders' incredible season, Jose Bautista's injury, the return of Troy Tulowitzki,the impact on the pen of the injury recoveries from Brett Cecil and Franklin Morales, and the Wade LeBlanc trade. They also answer listener questions and give a gold star to John Gibbons for the fun he has with his team and after games.
Greg and Josh discuss Edwin Encarnacion's latest hot streak, the improved offense overall, the plan to move Sanchez to the bullpen, Marco Estrada's dominant/historic run, J.A. Happ's recent shakiness, and the MLB Draft. They also give out a Do Over and a Cliché of the Week.
Free agent relief pitcher David Aardsma stops by the podcast to discuss the decision-making process that comes with opting out of a contract, what's next in his job search, analytics and how they can make a pitcher better, the draft and college pitcher usage, and why steroid testing procedures are very important. Josh and Greg also discuss the excellent rotation, the effect Jason Grilli could have on the rest of the bullpen, Troy Tulowitzki's return and what it means for the infield, and give some quick thoughts on the MLB First Year Player Draft. They also answer listener questions, and discuss Yordano Ventura's anger issues.
Josh and Greg discuss the incredible recent run against the Red Sox and Yankees, with a focus on the improving offense, the great starting pitching, and some issue with Marcus Stroman's pitch mix. They also discuss the trade for Jason Grilli, the loss of Jimmy Paredes and its effect on the bullpen, and Jose Bautista's recent comments to Sports Illustrated. Finally, they answer listener questions, give a Do-Over to Pat Tabler, and honour a retiring Canadian baseball legend.
Greg and Chris discuss all the John Gibbons ejections and how they all fit in with the unwritten rules of the game, returns to health from Devon Travis (he's back!) and Aaron Loup, the odd Blue Jays offense, and Michael Saunders. They then answer a bunch listener mail, give out a gold star to Demarlo Hale, and discuss the potential of signing recently DFA'd Brian Matusz.
Eno Sarris of Fangraphs stops by to discuss his recent interviews with Blue Jays players and to talk about the clubhouse feel. The Boys break down the handling of "The Brawl," discuss the awful play from the week, and talk about the pending return of Devon Travis, the addition of Jimmy Paredes, and the rehabs of Aaron Loup and Bo Schultz. They also answer listener questions and bring on special guest Ian Hunter to play Canada's favourite game, "Swing and a...Drive?"
The voices of the minor leagues make their appearance on Artificial Turf Wars, as Jesse Goldberg-Strassler of the Lansing Lugnuts and Ben Wagner of the Buffalo Bisons stop by to discuss Andy Burns, top prospects and life at various levels of the minors. Greg, Josh, and Chris also run through the recent stories surrounding the team including the excellent starting pitching, some issues with Troy Tulowitzki's glove, hitting woes, Ryan Tepera's brief return to the club, and the bizarre way managers handle bullpens in the ninth inning. Finally the guys answer a few listener questions, look at a bizarre "shift" from Buck Martinez, and tackle the cliché of major leaguers being former shortstops.
Jonah Keri of Sports Illustrated, CBS, and Sportsnet stops by to talk about writing for a living, analytics on the Blue Jays broadcast, and fighting the steroid stigma. The Boys also discuss booing Brett Cecil, the recent walkoff wins, Drew Storen's resurgence, 8-man bullpens, and the brewing position battle between Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney. They also answer a bunch of listener questions, give a gold star to the broadcast, and express their wish for Tim Lincecum to someday don a Blue Jays uniform.
Greg, Josh, and Chris discuss the Chris Colabello suspension (and give themselves a Do-Over in the process), the offensive and bullpen woes, the strong starting pitching, and a confusing situation involving Marco Estrada's shoulder. They also answer listener questions about Josh Donaldson's comments, Michael Bourn, and John Gibbons, give out a Cliché of the Week and tackle one of Justin Smoak's defensive quirks.
Shi Davidi of Sportsnet stops by to discuss his upcoming book, "The Big 50: Toronto Blue Jays," and some early season trends. The guys then tackle the recent week that was, with a focus on the incredible performance of the starting rotation, the odd bullpen usage, some lackluster hitting, and an odd start to the season for Justin Smoak. Finally, the guys tackle spin rates and give Do-Over to a popular Toronto radio personality.
Greg and Josh discuss the noteworthy stories from the last week of games, with a focus on the exemplary work of the starting rotation, the slugging of Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista, and the call up of switch-pitcher Pat Venditte. They also take a humorous look at some early season statistics, and discuss the firing of VP of Business Stephen Brooks. Finally, the guys answer some listener questions, give a Do-Over to Pat Tabler, and discuss how important "roles" are to relievers.
Biomechanist Dr. Thomas Karakolis stops by the podcast to discuss the new High Performance Department, as well as the new rule allowing MLB players to use "wearables" and how they can help prevent future injury. Also, Greg and Josh discuss the Franklin Morales signing and break down the first slate of games with a focus on Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez' dominant starts, Josh Donaldson's injury, and some odd bullpen usage by John Gibbons. The guys also answer some listener questions, give out a Do-Over to Gibby and hand out the first ATW Cliché of the Week to the phrase "he handles the bat well."
In the 2nd annual 25 in 50, Greg, Josh, and Chris break down the entire 25-man roster (plus Marco Estrada) in two minute bursts. Each player gets the same amount of time, from the superstars like Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson to 8th reliever types like Arnold "Villain" Leon and Ryan "Not Pat Venditte" Tepera.
Jamie Campbell stops by to discuss Sportsnet's Jays coverage and his favourite moments from last year, as well as to look ahead to the 2016 season. Greg, Josh, and Chris also discuss Roberto Osuna's desire to pitch in relief, the Aaron Sanchez/Gavin Floyd fight for the fifth starter spot, Troy Tulowitzki's injury scare, Marcus Stroman for Opening day, and a few Jays retirements. Finally, the boys answer listener questions and reveal the winners of the BP Toronto fantasy league contest.
Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustraded stops by to preview the New York Yankees in the final installment of the AL East Preview Series. The boys also discuss Edwin Encarnacion's injuries/contract talks, Marco Estrada's return to health, the signing of Randy Choate, and address the state of the battle for the final spot in the rotation. They also give a Do Over to the White Sox for the Adam LaRoche fiasco and answer listener questions.
Finally, the boys announced a contest become the final entrants in the BP Toronto fantasy league. All you have to do is follow @TurfPod and tweet your best fantasy team name. The winners will be notified of their inclusion in the league and the entries will be read on Episode Four of Artificial Turf Wars next week.
R.J. Anderson of Baseball Prospectus stops by Artificial Turf Wars to discuss the Tampa Bay Rays as part of the AL East Division preview series. The guys also discuss Jose Bautista's contract situation, Marco Estrada's health, Aaron Sanchez' great stuff, Josh's notes from Dunedin, and the one year anniversary of Marcus Stroman's "season-ending" injury. The guys then take some listener questions and then give a "Do-Over" to Goose Gossage for his insane, Jose Bautista-fueled rant.
Welcome to the debut episode of Artificial Turf Wars! Blue Jays RP David Aardsma stops by to give his views on bullpen battles, his career, the Blue Jays, and how to handle social media. In addition, Greg and Josh discuss Marcus Stroman’s “new pitch,” Bautista and Estrada getting into action, Michael Saunders looking healthy, and Aaron Loup’s elbow injury.
Finally, Chris joins the boys to answer some listener questions, give Anthony Gose a Do-Over and play everybody’s favourite Buck Martinez-inspired game, “Swing and a Drive!”