Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
All right, welcome back to Blair and Barker, the Sportsnet Radio Network. Sportsnet, Jeff Blair, Kevin Barker. 737 will be the first pitch tonight as the Jays take on the Yankees from the Rogers Center. Ryan Weathers on the mound for the Yankees. Trey Savage for the Jays. The news of the day.
Chapter 2: What recent roster moves did the Blue Jays make?
if you were otherwise occupied in the last hour. The news of the day is that Alejandro Kirk has been reinstated from the 60-day IL as expected. Tyler Heinemann has been DFA'd, designated for assignment. There's been another move made as well. Dalton Varshow went in the 10-day I.L. with left wrist inflammation, something John Schneider suggested a couple of days ago might in fact happen.
Davis Schneider has been recalled from AAA Buffalo. He's in the lineup tonight. As a matter of fact, why don't we get a chance? Let's throw the lineup up for people. Springer, Clement, Guerrero, Kirk goes right into the cleanup spot. Kazuma, Okamoto. Nathan Lucas, Miles Straw, David Schneider on left field, and Andre Samenez at shortstop. And as I mentioned, Trey Savage behind the plate.
Further news from our session with John Schneider today. Shane Bieber will throw a bullpen in Toronto. More than likely, more than likely, we'll get another start at AAA just to build up his pitch count. before he appears in a major league game here, but no indication that anything is untoward with his recovery. Jimmy Garcia, I think John essentially said, what was his velocity his last outing?
93. I think John essentially said, if it's not more than 93 next outing, then maybe we'll have to reevaluate what we do with Jimmy Garcia, so maybe pump the brakes a little bit on Jimmy Garcia for now. And other than that, George Springer could see some time in the outfield to get Brandon Valenzuela's bat in the lineup, and...
Since we spent two days talking about this, just to clarify, it's pretty obvious the Jays did have a discussion with Max Scherzer in spring training about what an exit rant may look like. So I think I covered just about everything.
I think you got it. It's 100% right. Now it's time to get it down and get it singing.
Now just go and sweep the Yankees.
Now it's time to get it down and get it singing. It is time. Everything will be. Everything will be good to go.
We're going to be joined by Shai Davidi in a few minutes. Tim Kirkson of ESPN joins us as well. But to get us there, let's give away some tickets. Do it, Jeff. Yeah. Let's give away some tickets because we've been giving you the chance to win Blue Jays tickets all season long here on Blair and Barker. All you have to do is text the correct answer to our daily baseball trivia question to 590-590.
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Chapter 3: What are the expectations for Shane Bieber's return to the mound?
Okay, well, you know, I get the sense that you want me to go down that road.
Yeah.
And I'm just not going to do it today.
No.
I'm not going to.
It's a tough one.
That's a good one. It's a good one. Yeah. I mentioned the game is on ESPN Radio tonight. We'll be joined at 530 by Tim Kirkjian. He's in town calling the Yankees-Jays game. He's the best. ESPN Radio. Shai Davidi joins us in a few minutes. Probably once he's finished with John Schneider. Yeah, he's late. John's late. Media availability. John's late. Well, we kept him. Maybe we kept him too.
Maybe he was watching the footy. Maybe it's both.
Could be both.
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Chapter 4: How is George Springer's return impacting the Blue Jays lineup?
Okay.
I would say so. Good. That just means you got a chance next game. Four points. You got to get four points to get out of the pool. Yeah. How many minutes they play?
Chapter 5: How does Max Scherzer fit into the Blue Jays' pitching plans?
Huh? How many minutes they play? Played 90 plus six. So 96. Nobody won?
No.
All right. Where's your red at?
Huh? Where's your red at? I don't know. I look awful in red. Where is your red? I look awful in red. Look at mine. I look like a big blood clot when I wear red.
Look at my red shirt. Well, yeah, that's not even your shirt. Representing. So?
That's not even your shirt.
I went out of my way to make a phone call to some people that could give me a red shirt because I didn't have one. And?
No, I mean, no.
Just so I could go on here and go, who won?
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Chapter 6: What insights does Tim Kurkjian provide on the Blue Jays' season?
You don't have any spirit. I have spirit. None whatsoever. I have spirit. No. I'm sure you bet on something here or in your fantasy. I'm sure that's the only reason you're paying attention. I don't have a Canadian player in my fantasy. Why is that, Jeff?
Just don't. And you know me. You know I don't bet generally. Although if I am going to bet, it's going to be in that.
Before Shia comes on, all joking aside, how big is this series against the Yankees? Like, I asked John the urgency question because I wanted him to say it out loud. That they're thinking that kind of ā I don't want to say the season starts tonight, but it kind of got that feel of we need to start seeing some steps forward taken.
I thought the season started with the series at Yankee Stadium. What happened in that? I don't have my ā They split. They split. That's what I thought. You and John came up with that. because the Dodgers thing was, no, I thought it was the Yankees series. You know... No judge. You're getting Kirky back. Here... Yeah. Here's the thing. I will say... I would say... You're at home.
Chapter 7: How are the Yankees managing without Aaron Judge?
I would say that most Jays fans would be more pumped about this series than any of the previous five or six because Kirky's back, because there's no judge. You know, you've got your Savage and Gossman going.
uh yes the yankees i mean the roof's gonna be open the weather's gonna be nice all that good stuff yeah this boy if you sweep this series you flip if you sweep this series you flip the narrative of this season right in its head if you can come out of the yankee series 500 seriously if you come out of this yankee series 500 only way they're doing that is if vladdy goes deep a couple times you think vladdy can do that
That's the only way they're doing this. I have to. Otherwise, I... I'm glad he's going to have to have one of them games where he's driving in four or five runs. I have to think that he's going to do that. Yeah, let's bring in Shai.
Shai Davidi, our MLB reporter. There he is. Look at you, man. How you doing? What's up, buddy? I'm okay. What's up, guys? Well, you know, just kind of digesting the news today.
Chapter 8: What is Ernie Clement's case for the All-Star game?
Look, we talked to John about Tyler Heinemann being DF8. I know you guys did as well. Um... I'll ask you two questions. One, are you surprised by the move? And secondly, I'm wondering what John's reaction to us was pretty straightforward, pretty matter of fact. I'm wondering if maybe he went in a little deeper with you guys in terms of the decision to DFA Heinemann.
Well, let's start with the first one. So I'm not surprised, but I thought there was a point, and it probably occurred at some point in the last week and a half, where Brendan Vilswell just made such a strong case for himself that he literally made it impossible for them to choose otherwise. But I think up to that point... There was a chance that protecting the depth was going to win the day.
But again, the performance just became so overwhelming. And, you know, good for Valenzuela. He just forced the issue. And he's given the Blue Jays lots of hits that they've needed. And so...
He made it to the point where the Blue Jays had to say, you know, as much as we want to protect depth and it would be great to have another catcher at AAA that you feel very comfortable with coming up to the big leagues if there's an injury, you just couldn't justify sending Valenzuela down. And I think the other piece to it is that
Alejandro Kirk is not going to be doing five out of seven games right off the bat. There are going to be some more games and opportunities for the backup right now. So Valenzuela is going to play a reasonable amount while Kirk gets his feet beneath him. So I think that conflation of factors ended up leading to this decision. In terms of Schneider's reactions...
I'm not sure what he said with you guys, but I think this one was challenging, but this is also just the business and there's that element of, there's a cutthroat element to this business, right? It just, sometimes you have to make hard decisions and if one player is performing better than the other,
that's just what it is even if somebody has had a really big impact on your team was a big part of what happened last year was in some significant moments for you so that's just the nature of the beast at times and so yeah there's some emotion to it but ultimately the the bus doesn't stop moving and sometimes these types of decisions after as they may be are part of the deal
Shy, John came on and said that George Springer might play some outfield. What situation you think would force John to have to put George in the outfield?
I think they like to get to a situation where against lefties, it gives you an option. And maybe that's a day where, you know, you're DH-ing Kirk and you've got Valenzuela behind the plate and you want to still get as many right-handed bats as you can in there. And that would be a spot for George to do that.
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