JTP: 2027 Roster, Big Questions & Vernon Wells
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What are the biggest questions facing the Blue Jays as the season comes to a close?
Hey, what's up? Welcome to Jay's Talk Plus. Blake Murphy with you. For the last time this Blue Jay season. This is the season finale of Jay's Talk Plus. It is not the Blue Jay season finale, that comes on Sunday. Blair Barker will have you through the playoffs still at the letters, will still be going. Uh, but as happens when the Blue Jays do not go on a World Series run, I'm getting bumped back to Raptors for Media Day on Monday. So this is it for us. Uh today we will We'll set up a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds. We will Mask our mugs for Jake upstairs. Uh, we will set up a series against the Cincinnati Reds. We'll look around baseball. There are seven series this weekend that are still quite relevant as far as two division titles, uh, one wildcard spot and wild card seating for, I guess, three wildcard spots technically, because the diamondbacks are still in it.
So uh a lot to be played for around Major League Baseball. We're gonna talk to Vernon Wells around 11 o'clock. We'll talk To Jared Greenspan from MLB. He's a writer and researcher there. He'll help us set up the weekend series and any award watch stuff that's still in the mix this weekend. Um At the end of the show, we are going to empty out the mailbag. So you can text away throughout the show to 590, 590. Standard data and message rates may apply. Uh, questions about what's going on this season, questions about what is ahead for 2027. Uh, I already have a bunch of lockout ones in there, which I'll do my best to guess at how things are going to play out. Uh, so fire away your text, 590, 590 throughout the show, and we'll do a bunch of those uh at the end.
To start us off here. Let's talk to our pal Ben Nicholson Smith of SportsNet of Athletics. He joins us now. BNS, last weekend of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays. How are we feeling?
You know, feeling feeling good. It's so much different than last year. And it's funny. Like you mentioned the end of Jay's Talk Plus, which congrats on another great season of it, by the way. But you know, last year we were in LA, right? You took the show with you to Los Angeles for that uh for the World Series. It's just such a different feeling this year, especially knowing that, you know, there is a chance that it'll be a while before we have another Blue Jays home series. So this last one of the year here against the Cincinnati. Mattie Reds, I think a lot of little subplots, not as interesting as an actual pennant race, but um I'm still pretty intrigued by what's ahead here, these three games.
As far as those subplots, there are obviously some on the Blue Jays side that we can get into. Ellie De La Cruz also hit his 30th home run last night. And I don't know if you've been paying attention to the Blue Jays this year, Ben, but they are a pretty easy team to steal bases against. In fact, only the Cincinnati Reds have allowed more stolen bases than the Blue Jays. And Ellie De La Cruz is sitting on 29. He's also sitting on 29 doubles. Uh so he has a chance to go a very clean baseball card with 30s. Uh what you gotta think he's got the green light the second he gets on first base with thirty thirty in the mix and the game not really mattering to the Reds, right?
Yeah, let's hope he runs wild. Let's hope he steals seven bases this weekend. I mean, at this point it doesn't matter, right? Let's just see some fun, some fun um baseball. Um, and look, that's one of the things the Blue Jays need to clean up. But yeah, I I think that whether it's LA Delacruz, obviously the Scherzer Verlander aspect of things is very interesting to me. I'm really intrigued. Like I I said to Arden on Athletics earlier this week, I think the Blue Jays should play George Springer in center field. on Sunday and um Arden Arden was not he didn't like the idea. You know who I You know who won uh who
else won't like that idea? If Mack Scherzer is starting on Sunday, he is not going to like that idea, I don't think. Yeah, I
don't think. And and George Springer probably won't like that idea. But guess what, folks? I still I still think they should do it.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the biggest questions facing the Blue Jays as the season comes to a close?
0:15–12:13
2
How does Ben Nicholson‑Smith evaluate the playoff race and the key series this weekend?
12:13–25:15
3
What insights does Jared Greenspan share about the final stretch, award races and playoff implications?
25:15–38:06
4
How does Vernon Wells assess Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s viral comments and his overall performance?
38:06–51:21
5
Why does Vernon say improving baserunning is crucial for the Jays and how can it be taught?
51:21–1:03:52
6
What does the discussion reveal about the 2027 roster outlook and potential key additions?
1:03:52–1:16:53
7
How do listener texts influence the conversation on free agency, contracts and future strategy?
1:16:53–1:28:40
8
What final takeaways and next steps does Blake Murphy leave listeners with for the offseason?
1:28:40–1:39:50
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from Blue Jays Talk
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