Longtime Toronto Blue Jays radio voice Mike Wilner hosts Deep Left Field, a baseball podcast from the Toronto Star. With great baseball coverage, opinion and an...
Toronto Maple Leafs pitcher Ayami Sato, Anthony Santander, Ross Atkins and more
The Blue Jays introduced Anthony Santander, their first major offensive acquisition in four years, and we bring you clips of his media availability and interpret Ross Atkins’ attempts to sidestep criticism for the Roki Sasaki debacle and the Jays’ failure (so far) to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a contract extension. We examine the Cooperstown Class of 2025, as well as those who fell just short in the voting, and talk to Ayami Sato, the greatest female baseball player of the modern era, who will become the first woman to play pro ball for a Canadian team when she suits up for the Intercounty Maple Leafs this summer.
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58:04
Finally, some good news as the Blue Jays sign slugger Anthony Santander
Only days after the Roki Sasaki debacle, the Blue Jays finally added a significant power bat, the first time they’ve done such a thing in four years. Anthony Santander, a switch-hitter who clubbed 44 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles last season, got a five-year deal worth a reported $92.5 million to come to Toronto, and his slugging stylings are desperately needed for a team that finished 26th in the majors in home runs last season. The addition of Santander bolsters a lineup that only had one hitter with as many as 20 home runs last year, and was definitely a significant enough move to warrant a special bonus episode. Finally, some good Blue Jays news.
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15:13
Blue Jays front office throws away $11M to swing and miss in the Sasaki Sweepstakes
There’s no shame in making an aggressive attempt to sign a coveted free agent but falling short, and the Blue Jays have done that several times over the past few years, whether it was with superduperstars Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto or mere mortals like Corbin Burnes, Justin Verlander and Xander Bogaerts, but the way the Jays mismanaged the pursuit of Roki Sasaki required a special episode of Deep Left Field. Not only did the Jays miss out on the 23-year-old Japanese phenom, who pings the radar gun at 102 mph, they quite literally threw away $11 million (U.S.) in doing so. This one wasn’t disappointing, it was infuriating.
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Right-hander Jeff Hoffman back in Toronto, Baseball Canada award winner Mia Valcke and more
Guests: Blue Jays reliever Jeff Hoffman, Canadian Women’s National Team shortstop Mia Valcke The Blue Jays re-introduced Jeff Hoffman to the Toronto media this week, bringing the right-hander back as a free agent 11 years after drafting him and 10 years after trading him to Colorado in the Troy Tulowitzki deal. We bring you highlights of the conversation with Hoffman, including his comments about failed physicals with Baltimore and Atlanta and whether he will be the Jays’ closer in 2025. Also, the Baseball Canada Ashley Stephenson Award winner, Mia Valcke, joins us to talk about her move from the outfield to shortstop in order to help Team Canada reach the podium at the 2024 World Cup. Plus thoughts on the Roki Sasaki sweepstakes and the ballot for the Cooperstown class of 2025.
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1:02:55
Blue Jays infielder Will Wagner, owner Mal Romanin and more
Longtime Toronto Blue Jays radio voice Mike Wilner hosts Deep Left Field, a baseball podcast from the Toronto Star. With great baseball coverage, opinion and analysis from Mike and other Star sports journalists including Laura Armstrong and Gregor Chisholm, as well as MLB players and others in the game, Deep Left Field has everything you need to know about the Jays, specifically, and baseball in general.