As Vlad mashes, Jays’ bullpen questions persist

Is This The Calm Before The Storm For The Blue Jays?: The Blue Jays are in on everyone, but signing no one — yet. After covering the virtual Winter Meetings, Ben and Arden explain why they still expect some big roster improvements are on the way. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Mike Tassone is our video and social media producer. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

63 min listen

July 17: Weighing in on Blue Jays’ top trade chips with Mike Wilner: Just like that, we’re only two weeks away from the trade deadline, so Blue Jays play by play voice Mike Wilner joins Ben Nicholson-Smith at Fenway Park to discuss the team’s top trade chips. “The Blue Jays are going to be good next year. They’re going to be very good in a couple of years. And in three years, they’re going to be looking for Marcus Stroman or a Marcus Stroman type. So if you are not going to get back a whole bunch of good stuff (for Marcus Stroman), and I don’t necessarily mean like five players or three players. Even one guy can be a whole bunch of good stuff. Why not keep him? Why not extend him?” – Mike Wilner This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are by At The Letters

36 min listen

June 20: Raptors’ success brings back Blue Jays memories: After covering the NBA Finals, Arden returns to talk Raptors and Blue Jays with Ben. Plus, discussions about Marcus Stroman and Ross Atkins. “I think Stroman has known since last year it was a possibility. Over the winter it was something the Blue Jays were openly talking about that they would listen to offers on Stroman and Sanchez.” -Ben Nicholson-Smith This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford – The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: ABC and Sportsnet. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

60 min listen

Aug. 28: Assessing the Josh Donaldson trade one year later: Josh Donaldson’s back and he’s hitting again, so Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith assess last year’s trade before discussing Rowdy Tellez’s production and previewing the Blue Jays’ September call-ups. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Shoaib Alli, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is also on YouTube. This week, our video producer was Drew Livingstone. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R_1fizfXMA At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford – The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, MLB Network The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

44 min listen

June 26: What Would The Blue Jays Get For Marcus Stroman?: Dan Shulman returns to Sportsnet’s podwaves by pinch-hitting for Ben this week. Dan and Arden discuss why the Yankees seem like a good fit for Marcus Stroman, the Blue Jays minor-league pitching depth, Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s improvement as a fielder and hitter, Cavan Biggio’s plate discipline and a surprisingly upbeat clubhouse. “It’s the young guys’ clubhouse right now. I mean Smoak is still there. Sogard, Galvis, Clayton Richard. They have value as leaders in that clubhouse in my opinion. But who is making noise when we walk into the clubhouse And I think the young kids, it’s still new enough that they are having fun and I think they know it’s going to get better. How much better? How quickly? We don’t know. But it is going to get better.” -Dan Shulman This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Dan Shulman. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford – T by At The Letters

63 min listen

Oct. 4: Reviewing some contentious Blue Jays over/under predictions: With some much-needed help from Shi Davidi, Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith review their annual over/under predictions. As always, past assumptions about the Blue Jays prove questionable in time. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet 590 The FAN. At The Letters is also on YouTube. You can watch the episode here. This week our video producer is Drew Livingstone. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

60 min listen

July 12: Applying lessons in player development to the Blue Jays: What if there was no such thing as a ceiling for MLB players? This week, The Ringer’s Ben Lindbergh joins At the Letters to talk about the MVP Machine, the book on player development he co-authored. “He knows he’s going to be traded. That was really my takeaway from talking to Stroman on the Monday (at the All-Star Game). How clear it is for him that his days in Toronto are numbered barring a further set back on the health front. And he’s come to terms with that.” -Ben Nicholson-Smith This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford – The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: ESPN and Sportsnet. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

41 min listen

Aug. 1: A closer look at the Blue Jays’ decision to trade Sanchez: With Sanchez, Biagini and Hudson all traded, Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith make sense of the Blue Jays’ decisions and assess the return coming to Toronto. “I just don’t think you can criticize the front office for, you know, oh — they don’t now what they are doing. No! They’re doing what every other team is doing. They’re doing what all baseball front offices are doing. It’s where its been going for a while now. It’s like baseball teams went from mom and pop shops — they went from Joe’s Hardware and Beth’s Fine Goods to Google and IBM.” – Arden Zwelling This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet and Sportsnet 590 The FAN. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are by At The Letters

59 min listen

July 24: Last episode of the Stro Show?: Is this it for Marcus Stroman and the Blue Jays? And if so, what happens next? Shi Davidi joins Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith in studio to make sense of the Blue Jays ahead of the deadline. “One of the great things about Blue Jays fans is that Blue Jays fans obsess over these tiny transactions (Dalton Pompey) and I think that’s great. I love that. I mean, when Ryan Goins was let go, that was a big deal. When Danny Valencia versus Chris Calabello in August of 2015. That was a big deal. That’s great. We like those discussions. I think it’s cool when fans do too. But ultimately, I just think the amount of hand wringing that happened around Dalton Pompey getting taken off the roster — like this is not someone who has shown he belongs on a big league roster.” -Ben Nicholson-Smith This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 F by At The Letters

47 min listen

July 3: Gurriel Jr. showing star-level potential for Blue Jays: What if Lourdes Gurriel Jr. can be a star for this team? This week Arden and Ben discuss Gurriel Jr., marvel at Cavan Biggio’s plate approach and break down Aaron Sanchez’s struggles. “Don?t forget about the elite left field defence that you are getting (from Lourdes Gurriel Jr.). Don’t forget about the fact that nobody can run on him. The assist numbers that he’s put up having played the outfield for a month and a half are absurd.” -Arden Zwelling This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford -The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet and Sportsnet 590 the FAN. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

42 min listen

A New Reality Emerges For The Jays, And All Of Us: A few days ago, the COVID-19 outbreak led to the indefinite suspension of the MLB season. What now? Arden and Ben discuss the implications of the pause in play for society at large and for the Blue Jays. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Michael Mayers, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

50 min listen

Aug. 9: A new era of Blue Jays baseball arrives: Bo Bichette can’t be stopped, so Arden and Ben discuss his historic stretch, what the Blue Jays can do to address their pitching, and Mark Shapiro’s recent media availability. “I don’t know if the Blue Jays are going to win in two years or three years. None of us know if they are going to go to the postseason or win a championship. But if they do, these are the players that are going to get them there. This is going to be the core of that team. You can say — hey, I remember when Bo Bichette debuted! I remember watching Cavan Biggio hit that screaming home run to right at the Trop. You can get in on the ground floor of this and watch it.” -Arden Zwelling This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford – The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet and by At The Letters

53 min listen

Sept. 13: Discussing the evolution of pitching with Blue Jays’ Pete Walker: Imagine obsessing over every last pitch thrown by the 2019 Blue Jays. That’s Pete Walker’s job. As a tough season winds down, Walker joins Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith for a big picture discussion about pitching. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun.https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

40 min listen

Oct. 18: Mark Shapiro on what’s next for both the Jays and himself: With the regular season over, it’s time to zoom out a little. Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith ask Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro about his professional future, the Blue Jays’ next moves and some potential rule changes in baseball. “I love where I am.” – Mark Shapiro, Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

73 min listen

Nov. 8: Blue Jays’ off-season work just getting started: Chase Anderson’s a Blue Jay now. What’s next? Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith explain who is (and isn’t) a free agent fit before considering Toronto’s options in centre field. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is also on YouTube. Watch it here. This episode, our video producer is Anthony Caminiti. Audio Credits: Sportsnet and Sportsnet 590 The FAN. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

58 min listen

Sept. 27: John Schneider’s observations from the dugout: Few people have seen as much of Vlad, Bo and Biggio as John Schneider. The Blue Jays coach joins Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith to discuss the development of those rookies and what he watches for from the dugout. “He (Bo Bichette) thinks he’s going to be Mickey Mantle — Mike Trout. There’s no hesitation.” -John Schneider This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun.https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: ESPN and Sportsnet 590 The FAN. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

47 min listen

Aug. 14: Ross Atkins on the Blue Jays’ present and future: GM Ross Atkins joins Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling for a big-picture discussion about where the Blue Jays are now and what has to happen for them to contend. This episode is produced by Steven Coyle and Ryan Walsh, sound engineered by Shoaib Alli, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford – The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

56 min listen

Sept. 19: Assessing the debut seasons of Vlad, Bo and Biggio: How would you grade the Blue Jays’ rookie infielders? Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith weigh in on Vlad, Bo and Biggio while also discussing the Toronto bullpen and Trevor Bauer’s next team. “Cavan Biggio is having a better rookie season than Vladimir Guerrero Jr.” -Arden Zwelling This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet and Sportsnet 590 The FAN At The Letters is also on YouTube. This week our video producer is Drew Livingstone. Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/GGIzhw0xdrs The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

47 min listen

Sept. 5: Call-ups add intrigue as losses pile up for Blue Jays: Remember when the Blue Jays won games for a while? Those days are over. As September call-ups arrive in Toronto, Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith discuss the club’s struggles and recent additions. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Shoaib Alli, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet At The Letters is also on YouTube, you can watch the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIo-bCF7STE. This week, our video producers are Anthony Memme and Drew Livingstone. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

36 min listen

Aug. 21: Will Pearson be next top prospect to join Blue Jays?: Now that Nate Pearson’s just one step away from the majors, how soon could he make his MLB debut? Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith discuss before turning their attention to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s knee and the Jays’ use of the opener. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Shoaib Alli, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford – The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Buffalo Bisons, MLB.com The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

39 min listen

Nate Pearson: How does baseball’s top right-handed pitching prospect prepare himself? Nate Pearson joins Arden and Ben in Dunedin, Fla. to talk tech, food, sleep, workload and the high hopes he has for his career.This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Special thanks to Maria St. Aubin for archival support.Audio Credits: Toronto Blues Radio Network.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

36 min listen

July 30: Did the Blue Jays get fair value in Stroman trade?: Marcus Stroman and Eric Sogard have been traded. Did the Blue Jays get enough back? Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith make sense of the moves and Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline weighs in on the return. “This would be a really big story (Bo Bichette called up) if it hadn’t happened on the day that Marcus Stroman was traded and blew up in the clubhouse, and Shelley Duncan was removed from the coaching staff, and nobody was allowed in the clubhouse after the game …. and Eric Sogard is in the mixed zone in neutral territory between the two clubhouses.” – Arden Zwelling This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is presented by the All-New 2019 Ford Ranger. Ford — The road less travelled has way more fun. https://www.ford.ca/trucks/ranger/ Audio Credits: Sportsnet and Sportsnet 590 The FAN. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are t by At The Letters

48 min listen

What We’ve Learned At Blue Jays Spring Training: All of a sudden opening day’s not all that far off. From the Blue Jays’ spring training home in Dunedin, Fla., Ben asks Arden for his Grapefruit League impressions and a discussion about Nate Pearson follows. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Audio Credits: Blue Jays Radio Network. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

57 min listen

The Homeless Blue Jays and 2020 Over/Unders: It’s Opening Day for the Blue Jays and they still don’t know where their home schedule will be played. Arden and Ben discuss the implications of a 60-game road trip and why Nate Pearson didn’t crack Toronto’s Opening Day roster. Plus, the 2020 edition of ATL’s greatest tradition — Over/Unders. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Arden Zwelling and Ben Nicholson-Smith. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

87 min listen

Jamie Campbell Is Burning Up The Phone Lines: With no baseball on the schedule, Blue Jays Central host Jamie Campbell has been making plenty of calls. This time he phones Ben and Arden to talk about his conversations with fans and some classic Jays games. This episode is produced and record by Amil Delic, sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. Audio Credits: Blue Jays Radio Network, CBS, ESPN Radio and Sportsnet. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

70 min listen

Winter Wins and What They Will Mean: While the Blue Jays still have work to do, Hyun-jin Ryu could be a difference maker. Arden and Ben take stock of what the recent additions mean for a new-look Toronto roster. This episode is produced and sound designed by Amil Delic, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters also on YouTube. Watch it here. This episode, our video producer is Will Farquharson. Audio Credits: ARIRANG NEWS and Sportsnet. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

49 min listen

Dan Shulman Talks Broadcasting During A Pandemic: Fresh off a two-game stint calling intrasquad contests, Blue Jays play-by-play voice Dan Shulman joins Arden to chat about preparing to broadcast games off a monitor this season and what he’s seen so far at the team’s camp. This episode is produced and sound designed by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Arden Zwelling. Audio Credits: Sportsnet The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

50 min listen

Big Decisions Await The Blue Jays Down The Stretch: The Blue Jays lost two more big bats to the injured list, but some reinforcements are coming, too. With that in mind, Arden and Ben break down the biggest decisions facing the Blue Jays down the stretch. This podcast is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. At The Letters is also on YouTube. Watch it here. Our video and social media producer is Mike Tassone. Audio Credits: MLB.com The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

67 min listen

Planning For A Season Like None Other: Getting the 2020 baseball season going will be nothing if not complex. Shi Davidi joins Arden and Ben to discuss the latest plans and the many ways the Blue Jays will be impacted. This episode is recorded and sound engineered by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

55 min listen

How Blue Jays Pitchers are Preparing for the Year Ahead: Two months after the season was suspended, Blue Jays pitchers have learned a lot about working from home. Bullpen coach Matt Buschmann joins Arden and Ben for a discussion about how the staff is preparing behind the scenes. This episode is produced and sound engineered by Christian Ryan, and hosted by Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate. by At The Letters

42 min listen

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As Vlad mashes, Jays’ bullpen questions persist

As Vlad mashes, Jays’ bullpen questions persist

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