Bat Flips and Maple Dips - A Toronto Blue Jays Podcast

Coming off of a series win in Boston, Justin and Patrick take a look at where the Jays are at and preview a tough July schedule.

Is it time for the team for the team to make a trade? The rotation could use added depth due to the age of the veteran players leading it, and the lineup could certainly use some more thump.

Could the Pirates be a trading partner? The guys look in to potential players that could help the Jays now and going forward, and analyze the cost.

After a series win that featured some spice, Justin and Patrick discuss relatiation for hit batters, Max Scherzer's return, and a trip to Fenway for a series with the struggling Red Sox.

Should Mason Fluharty be sent to Buffalo?

When can we expect to see Varsho, Garcia, Santander, and Burr back?

The guys also take a look at a few notable prospects in the system.

Behind strong pitching from Bassitt and Lauer as well as two big home runs from Bichette and Barger, the Toronto Blue Jays were able to take two of three from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Jays remain in the second American League Wild Card spot as the season nears the halfway point.

Justin and Patrick discuss lineup construction, Kevin Gausman's struggles, injury updates, and trade possibilities.

Justin and Patrick return after a Blue Jays sweep of the Cards to highlight what has been going right, and what lurks in the darkness for this club.

Alejandro Kirk is red hot, the home runs have started to come, and the pitching staff is bending but not breaking.

The guys also do a soda pop tier list.

After the Toronto Blue Jays completed a THUMPING of the Philadelphia Phillies, Justin and Patrick break down what went right in the series win. Alejandro Kirk and Ernie Clement can't stop hitting, the bullpen has been teriffic, and Chris Bassitt and Jose Berrios were excellent.

The Jays are now firmly in the Wild Card race and head to Minnesota to play a Twins team who are one game ahead of them.

The guys also discuss starting pitching and whether or not they believe the Pirates would move Mitch Keller for the right offer.

The Toronto Blue Jays are back at 3 games over the .500 mark after a 4-game sweep of the Athletics.

With big contributions coming from Ernie Clement and Addison Barger, Justin and Patrick discuss how to keep them in the every day lineup when Andres Gimenez returns from the IL.

The guys also discuss the crowded outfield and preview what could be a difficult group of starting pitchers to face when the Phillies come to town.

After a sweep of the reeling Padres, Justin and Patrick return to discuss how the Jays were able to pull it off.

They got great pitching from Bassitt, Gausman, and the bullpen over the 3 game set and tons of production from up and down the lineup.

With the sweep, the Jays climb back above .500 and head out on a road trip to play the Rays and Rangers.

Justin gives updates on injured players and Patrick asks tough questions about Jeff Hoffman.

It has been over SIX YEARS since Keegan Matheson last appeared on the show, and today he makes his triumphant return weeks before his new book, The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays, hits shelves across the country.

Justin, Patrick and Keegan discuss the process of curating the stories included in the book, wrangling John Gibbons to write the foreward, and where the team stands a quarter of the way into the 2025 season.

You can find Keegan's on X and Bluesky, and via his articles on MLB.com.

To pre-order The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays...

After a rough series loss to the Rays, Justin and Patrick discuss what has been a very inconsistent season for the Blue Jays starting rotation.

The guys discuss the lineup, bullpen usage, and what to expect when a very good Detroit Tigers team visits Toronto this long weekend.

Tune in Monday when we will have a special guest making their return to the show after 6 years!

After a roller coaster of a west coast trip that saw the Toronto Blue Jays go 4-2, Justin and Patrick go over what went on.

The guys go on an apology tour to say sorry to many of the players they were hard on over the past 2 weeks, and highlight the stand out performers of the past week.

Justin previews the Rays and Patrick gives an update on top prospect Arjun Nimmala.

Check out this documentary on the Vancouver Asahi baseball team!

After an up and down homestand for the Blue Jays, Justin and Patrick are back to discuss how the team is performing.

The team has signed RHPs Spencer Turnbull and Jose Urena to bolster a staff that has been overworked lately, but is it enough?

With the Jays going through a tough time, Justin and Patrick discuss how things may change in the lineup with Daulton Varsho returning to face the Red Sox this week.

Who gets the start on Wednesday? Could it be former and also new Jay Casey Lawrence?

The guys look at top prospect Arjun Nimmala's start in Vancouver, Trey Yesavage and Khal Stephen lighting up batters in Florida, and provide updates on injuries on the MLB roster.

With the Blue Jays on a five-game losing streak Justin and Patrick examine what is going on.

Nathan Lukes has the only home run for the team in the past 6 games, and Bo Bichette still has not hit one this season.

Heading into New York to play the Yankees, the Jays still sit within striking distance of the division lead.

The bats need to step up.

Justin and Patrick return for a Blue Jays vibe check. The team has a winning record on the backs of their pitching staff, and Vladdy finally hit a home run!

The guys highlight Chris Bassitt, Yimi Garcia, Alan Roden, and Jeff Hoffman, and discuss what they would change about the batting order.

Daulton Varsho, Erik Swanson, and Ryan Burr are nearing returns while Max Scherzer's status is up in the air.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been extended!

For the next 14 seasons he will be a Toronto Blue Jay.

With Patrick on vacation, he joins Justin from a Montreal hotel room to react to one of the biggest moments in Blue Jays franchise history.

The guys discuss the impact of the deal and what could be next for the front office.

We've got a fun one for you today folks!

To start the show Justin & Patrick break down the Toronto Blue Jays sweep of the Washington Nationals. The guys highlight the top performers and also the players who need to step up going forward.

The main course of this episode saw Allison and Linda, two of the hosts of Mets podcast A Pod of Their Own, join the show.

Along with Allison and Linda, Justin & Patrick go over the rich history of the Mets, the triumph, the heartbreak, and what to expect with this...

After a season opening series split with Baltimore, Justin and Patrick voice their concerns about Max Scherzer and the puzzling move to keep (and then DFA) Richard Lovelady over Ryan Yarbrough.

The guys highlight Andres Gimenez, Bo Bichette, Kevin Gausman, and Jeff Hoffman as standouts over the weekend.

Congrats to Alan Roden on his first MLB hit.

Before wrapping up the episode the guys discuss the Washington Nationals and the keys to winning the series.

Stay tuned for a very cool episode later this week!

Josh Sroka of Section 336 joins Justin and Patrick to take a deep dive into one of the Blue Jays' biggest opponents: the Baltimore Orioles!

Josh and his brother Matt co-host Section 336 and have been podcasting since 2012! They are Orioles season ticket holders with their father and as we learned, the Orioles have had a tremendous impact on their lives!

Justin and Patrick ask Josh about growing up watching Cal Ripken Jr., the tough years in the 2000s, and what this current group of young stars is capable of in 2025 and beyond. It was a blast...

Justin and Patrick bring you the annual BFMD season preview!

The guys discuss the 26-man roster to start the year, Alejandro Kirk's extension, and injuries to some key players.

Patrick leads the lightning round of questions with the guys giving their individual player predictions and spicy takes. Who is most likely to be traded? Will John Schneider lose his job? Which rookie will be the biggest contributor?

Stay tuned for our next episode previewing the Baltimore Orioles with a special guest!

Justin and Patrick are back with an emergency episode after details of the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. contract negiotiations were leaked.

With Vladdy allegedly seaking $500 million in present value (no deferrals) the guys answer the question: Is he worth $500 million?

What options do the Jays have? Will Vladdy's bet on himself pay off in free agency?

In this episode Justin and Patrick discuss Canadian curling, baseball trivia, and MLB spring training.

Is the current format fair at the Scotties and Brier? Should the best teams in the country be given automatic entry?

Patrick quizzes Justin on his baseball knowledge with some fun trivia.

Who is leading the race for the remaining positions on the Blue Jays roster, and who has seen their stock fall?

Justin and Patrick return to take a look at how the spring is going so far for the Blue Jays.

Position battles are on for third base, outfield, and bullpen spots. The guys debate what they want to see from the catchers.

What can we expect from Bo? From George? From Will Wagner?

Justin and Patrick react to Vladimir Guerrero Jr's comments that he would consider signing with the Yankees after being very anti-Yankees to start his career. Would he actually go through with it and how big of a distraction will his looming free agency be for the team this year?

The guys also discuss spring training position battles and offseason grades.

The Blue Jays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr could not agree on a contract extension prior to the deadline imposed by Vladdy.

Justin and Patrick give their reactions and discuss what comes next for both the player and the team.

Could and should the Jays look to trade Vladdy now while he still has a full season of control or play out the season with the hope of re-signing him next winter?

Justin and Patrick are back with the FINAL episode of the offseason before Spring Training opens for the Toronto Blue Jays on Feb. 13.

The guys discuss highlights from Max Scherzer's first media session as a Blue Jay, Kevin Kiermaier's role in the organization, missing out on Pete Alonso, and roster battles to watch throughout camp.

Justin and Patrick return on a short turnaround from Thursday's Max Scherzer episode.

The guys discuss the latest on Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman, and whether or not Bregman would be a big upgrade for the team going forward.

The episode wraps up with some hockey talk and early Super Bowl predictions for next Sunday.

While Justin and Patrick were recording, Max Scherzer signed a 1 year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. It's the first time in BFMD history the guys were able to discuss breaking news during the show!

What does this signing mean for the team? What more do they need to do in the two remaining weeks before Spring Training begins?

Justin and Patrick are back to discuss the Toronto Blue Jays signing Anthony Santander to a 5-year contract.

Days after losing out on Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki who chose the Dodgers the Jays finally managed to make a free agent splash.

The guys debate whether or not the Myles Straw trade made sense, and whether or not Pete Alonso makes sense for the team.

The Blue Jays are bringing back 2014 first round Jeff Hoffman on a 3-year deal to help anchor the back end of the bullpen. Hoffman was traded to the Rockies in 2015 in the Tulo deal.

Justin and Patrick discuss the impact he will have in 2025, and provide updates on the remaining free agent relief pitching options.

The guys review the arbitration numbers for Vladdy, Varsho, Kirk and the other 4 Blue Jays who agreed on terms, and discuss the Vladdy and Bo extension situation.

Justin and Patrick recap their holidays by discussing food, family time, and chocolate.

The guys then look at the 24% of the vote that is currently known for the Baseball Hall of Fame to see how Ichiro, Sabathia, Wagner, and others are trending.

Note: Patrick got a new mic so we are still fine tuning the levels! It will improve next episode.

With Christmas a handful of days away Justin and Patrick sit down with pens, paper, and a mug of hot chocolate to write their letters to Santa.

The guys wish for contract extensions, home run hitting outfielders, high end starting pitching, and a lot of bullpen help.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Note: this episode was recorded in late November prior to the Juan Soto signing and Horwitz/Gimenez trade.

To officially wrap up their 2024 recap series Justin and Patrick take a look at what happened with the Buffalo Bisons.

The guys discuss Alan Roden, Will Robertson, Andrew Bash and Orelvis Martinez. Will Martinez and Roden make MLB impacts in 2025?

The Blue Jays had a busy day! One day after missing out on Juan Soto who signed with the Mets, the Blue Jays pivoted and signed Yimi Garcia. Then they traded Spencer Horwitz and an outfield prospect to the Cleveland Guardians for Andres Gimenez and Nick Sandlin.

Justin and Patrick react to the trade and discuss what it means for the future. Will Gimenez eventually replace Bo Bichette? Where does Yimi fit in? Will the Jays still sign a big name like Corbin Burnes or Anthony Santander? Is a Teoscar Hernandez reunion likely or can the Jays...

Justin and Patrick keep the minor league recaps going with the Toronto Blue Jays Double-A affiliatle Fisher Cats.

The guys discuss an overall disappointing season for the Cats and highlight Rainer Nunez and Trenton Wallace.

Next up, Buffalo!

Barring any breaking news (we know Soto is a Met) you'll see the Buffalo episode opn the weekend.

Continuing on in our farm team recap series Justin and Patrick head to the west coast to discuss the High-A Vancouver Canadians.

The guys discuss Kendry Rojas, Dasan Brown and The Iowa Meat Truck Peyton Williams.

Next up: New Hampshire Fisher Cats

The Toronto Blue Jays have non-tendered closer Jordan Romano in what was a somewhat surprising decision.

Justin and Patrick discuss why they did it and also update you on the Hall of Fame voting and Juan Soto sweepstakes.

Fresh off the recap series on the MLB Blue Jays, Justin and Patrick return to analyze the minor league affiliates.

Starting with the Dunedin Blue Jays the guys discuss Eliander Alcalde, Arjun Nimmala, and Victor Arias.

Just makes a bold prediction about Sean Keyes and Patrick wonders if Fernando Perez deserves a taste of High-A ball in Vancouver.

In the final installment of 2024 grades Justin and Patrick tackled the bullpen. In order to shorten the content the guys focussed on guys who ended the year in the organization AND who met an innings pitched threshold that warranted a grade.

Who was the most reliable? What are the biggest needs for 2025? How many 2024 relievers will be on the roster in 2025?

In the 3rd of 4 grading episodes Justin & Patrick review the rotation.

Surprisingly the guys have a disagreement on Kevin Gausman's season.

What is Yariel Rodriguez's future role going to be?

In part 2 of our offseason grading episodes Justin and Patrick finish up the batters.

Will Patrick finally acknowledge Daulton Varsho?

Where do Ernie Clement and Spencer Horwitz fit going forward?

Is there a place on the roster for Davis Schneider?

How do the guys grade Bo Bichette and can he bounce back in 2025?