Advertise on podcast: Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

This week in Deep Left Field, we dive into the end-of-season post-mortems held by Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins on Wednesday.   We break down what Shapiro had to say about his feelings watching the heart-warming final weekend of the Jays' miserable season and about the looming labour dispute.   Then we wade through what Atkins said about having baseball's worst offence in 2026, with an emphasis on what he saw from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., how the Jays plan to help him find his way out of it and much more!   All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays outfielder George Springer, pitcher Max Scherzer, catcher Brandon Valenzuela, associate manager DeMarlo Hale     This special bonus episode of Deep Left Field comes to you as the Blue Jays wrap up what's been a frustrating and disappointing season with an incredibly emotional Game 162, leaving their fans with a good taste in their mouths for what promises to be a long off-season. We'll hear from Max Scherzer, who turned back the clock Sunday, and George Springer, who picked up a double in his final game with the Jays, about treasuring their time in Toronto and dealing with the feelings of what could have been their last game in the big leagues. Brandon Valenzuela, who caught Scherzer's masterful effort, joins us to talk about it (and fight back tears) and Jays' associate manager DeMarlo Hale is here to break down a truly ugly season that no one saw coming. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guest: Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays playoff dreams have been extinguished. What looked only a couple of weeks ago like a team that had another playoff run in it has limped to the finish line, with 11 losses in 16 games through Wednesday's doubleheader sweep in Baltimore in which the Jays were mathematically eliminated after the first game. My Toronto Star Blue Jays beat partner Gregor Chisholm joins me to dissect what went wrong in the Jays' quest to defend their American League pennant, from injuries and underperformance to poor roster construction that led to overreliance on certain players. We also get into Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s viral comments about his contract. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage, prospect pitcher Josh Stephan   This week in Deep Left Field, we go over an up-and-down "week that was" for the Blue Jays, who find themselves a game and a half out of a playoff spot with nine games to play as they head into their final road trip of the regular season.   We also take a trip down to the farm, where we catch up with rookie Trey Yesavage, who made what he hopes will be his only rehab start for the Buffalo Bisons on September 15. The right-hander tells us what he thought of the five-batter, 34-pitch outing.   As well, we'll introduce you to Josh Stephan, one of several young starting pitchers acquired by the Jays at the August 3 trade deadline. He came over from the Texas Rangers, along with Josh Smith, for Adam Macko.   All that, plus your thoughts, comments and questions in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guest: Blue Jays all-time great Carlos Delgado   This week in Deep Left Field, we take a deep dive into the muddled mess that is the "race" for the final playoff spot in the American League, of which the Blue Jays are very much a part.   We look at all the teams, their schedules, the math, the expectations, and what the Jays need to do in order to be a playoff team for the fifth time in seven seasons.   We also have an expansive mailbag segment, making sure that you get your voice heard at [email protected], touching on the playoff race, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s struggles, answering the question of who is the fastest Blue Jay and more!   And we're thrilled to be joined by the man whose name rests atop almost all the major categories in the Blue Jays offensive record book. Carlos Delgado stops by to talk Hall of Excellence, his Jays years and more!

Guests: Blue Jays pitchers Joe Mantiply, Paul Sewald, Jameson Taillon; infielder Sean Keys   This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays have surged to within half a game of a playoff spot thanks to five wins in their last six games, including a big series win in Cleveland.   We go over the week that was, highlighting a sweep of the Seattle Mariners and what may have been Vladimir Guerrero's breakout game in an 11-0 pounding of the Guardians.   Right-hander Jameson Taillon, who will start Friday's series opener in Kansas City, joins us to discuss his deep Canadian connection and to talk, honestly and openly, about his struggles with the Chicago Cubs this season.   We hear from Sean Keys, a rookie enjoying a playoff race in his first taste of the big leagues, and a pair of veterans - relievers Joe Mantiply and Paul Sewald - who were teammates on the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that got all the way to the World Series after sneaking into the post-season in the last wild card spot.    All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, Jays icon Buck Martinez     This week in Deep Left Field, it's the first time in a long time that the Blue Jays have lost ground in the playoff race, but they're heading into September well within striking distance of the leader in the chase for the American League's final wild card spot. Thursday, that's the Cleveland Guardians, but that seems to change on a daily basis. We look back at the Jays' 3-3 Week That Was, with an emphasis on the Shane Bieber injury news that has made the climb toward a playoff position that much more difficult. Dylan Cease joins us, possibly on the way to a Cy Young award, to talk about what the Jays have to do in September to make it back to the post-season. He also discusses his artistic endeavours, with his work currently on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and how much he's gotten to explore Toronto in the first season of his seven-year deal with the Jays. Buck Martinez is being inducted into the Jays' new Hall of Excellence on the weekend, and the iconic Jays player and broadcaster, who also managed the team for 215 games, joins us to reflect on an incredible career that is more than deserving of Blue Jays immortality. Plus, a dip into the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guest: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, star of Kim's Convenience, The Mandalorian, Murdoch Mysteries, and so much more   This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays are on the cusp of a playoff berth as they come out of their toughest fortnight of the season, playing exclusively against the three best teams in the American League.   Going into Thursday, they're 6-3 so far and have closed to within one game of the final wild card spot in the AL.   We talk to Canadian icon of stage and screen - and huge Blue Jays fan - Paul Sun-Hyung Lee about everything that the Jays and their fans have gone through this season, with a special emphasis on Wednesday night's Jesus Sanchez Experience.   Also a look back at the Jays' week that was and a dip into the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Canadian baseball great Joey Votto, Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez and pitcher Spencer Miles This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays are on a roll and have closed to within a game and a half of a playoff spot thanks to five wins in their last six games. We talk to the Jays' "Captain Clutch," Andres Gimenez, about how he seems to elevate his game to produce in big spots, and to Rule 5 rookie Spencer Miles about notching his first big-league save Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox. And we are thrilled to have Joey Votto join us for a wide-ranging conversation about his post-retirement life, how he worked to become one of the greatest hitters Canada has ever produced and what he thinks has gone wrong with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s season. All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guests: Chicago Cubs pitchers Kevin Gausman and Trent Thornton; Blue Jays third baseman Josh Smith   This week in Deep Left Field we travel to the north side of Chicago to see Kevin Gausman in his new digs at venerable Wrigley Field.   The hope was to see Gausman square off against the team that traded him less than a week ago, but he felt that might be a bit too much.   Instead, we got what might be our last conversation with the right-hander for a while. He compares Wrigley to the Rogers Centre, reiterates his love for Toronto but also says how happy he is to be in a winning situation in Chicago.   We also speak to former Blue Jay and now Cubs pitcher Trent Thornton, who raves about his new team's acquisition of Gausman and looks back at his own Jays days, plus one of the new Jays acquired at the trade deadline, infielder Josh Smith, joins us to introduce himself to the masses.   All that, plus your Bluejays comments and questions in the mailbag at deepleftfield@the star.ca!

Guest: Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm The trade deadline has passed and the Blue Jays were very busy indeed. After picking up right-hander Jameson Taillon and trading beloved starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, the Jays made four more trades on Monday's deadline day. They dealt away embattled former closer Jeff Hoffman and one-time MLB Defensive Player of the Year Daulton Varsho, along with left-hander Adam Macko and former top prospect Arjun Nimmala and they picked up potential all-star starter Jose Soriano, utility player Josh Smith and a whole bunch of very similar-looking young players, both pitchers and position players, plus one kid who stands out from the rest, a 20-year-old left-hander who throws 99 miles per hour named Dasan Hill. Gregor Chisholm and I break down the Jays' deadline and explain what they were trying to accomplish and how we think they did. We also take a dip into the mailbag at [email protected]!

Guest: Blue Jays associate manager DeMarlo Hale   This week in Deep Left Field, we check in with DeMarlo Hale to assess the second third of what continues to be a disappointing and frustrating Blue Jays season.   The Jays won 25 of their first 54 games, then 24 of the next 54, so they head into the final third of the season (in which they're 1-0 so far) leaning heavily toward being sellers at the August 3 trade deadline.   Hale talks about what's gone wrong, what can and can't be fixed, and what he's looking for from the team over the season's final third.   Also, we dive into the mailbag at [email protected] for your thoughts on Kevin Gausman's potential exit, the effect of Bo Bichette's departure, the upcoming trade deadline and more!

Guest: Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman   With the Jays' season spiraling, seemingly out of control, losing seven of their last eight games to fall 10 games under .500, it seems inevitable that they will be sellers at the August 3 trade deadline.   Their most attractive commodity on the trade market is Kevin Gausman, and the five-year Blue Jay joins us for an honest, open and very emotional conversation as he deals with the potential that he has made his final start at home for the Jays.   You might want to grab a tissue or two, Gausman certainly could have used some.   As well, we take a deep dive into the mailbag at [email protected] for your questions, comments and thoughts, including ones about the upcoming deadline, the Jays' uninspiring play of late, the role of the front office in the swoon and the tragic passing of Duane Ward.

Guests: Blue Jays World Series champions Tom Henke, Juan Guzman, Todd Stottlemyre In this special bonus episode of Deep Left Field, we take you to this past weekend's celebration of the Blue Jays 1992 and '93 World Series championship teams that culminated in the unveiling of a statue of Joe Carter in mid-leap after hitting the walk-off home run to win the '93 fall classic. This episode was supposed to be a happy one, catching up with a few Jays legends, but the tragic death of Duane Ward cast a pall over the weekend. We pay tribute to "Wardo," a great friend and iconic Blue Jay, and then share conversations from Saturday's media availability with pitchers Tom Henke, Juan Guzman and Todd Stottlemyre, who have five Jays World Series rings between them. Those conversations all took place before anyone knew that Ward had passed away.

Guests: New York Mets 3B coach Tim Leiper, Houston Astros bench coach Omar Lopez   This week in Deep Left Field, we jump into the unofficial second half with a little international flair!   Recorded during the annual all-star break Wilner Family Vacation - this time to Denmark and Sweden - we bring you Tim Leiper! The long-time third-base coach for Baseball Canada and first-base coach of the Blue Jays in the glory years of 2015-16 now makes his full-time home in Huntsville, Ontario.    Also, we talk to Astros bench coach Omar Lopez, who managed Team Venezuela to an incredibly unexpected gold medal finish at the World Baseball Classic!   The mailbag is always open at [email protected]!