Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

Guests: Former Blue Jays Player and Broadcaster Pat Tabler, Jays' DH/1B Brandon Belt This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner talks to Pat Tabler about his three decades as a Jays' player and broadcaster, and looks ahead to his new gig in Cleveland, and plays "Meet The New Guy" with two-time World Series champion Brandon Belt.

Guests: Team Canada veteran Scott Mathieson, Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt, Phillies' starter Taijuan Walker This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner talks to Scott Mathieson in the aftermath of Canada's elimination from the World Baseball Classic by Mexico, plays "Meet The New Guy" with Chris Bassitt, and chats with Taijuan Walker, a former Blue Jay who never got the chance to wear the uniform in Toronto.

Guests: Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly, Team Canada WBC shortstop Otto Lopez, new Jays reliever Erik Swanson. This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner talks to six-time all-star Don Mattingly about his new role as manager John Schneider's right-hand man, checks in with Otto Lopez before he heads off to play for Canada at the World Baseball Classic, and plays "Get To Know The New Guy" with Erik Swanson.

Guests: Blue Jays top prospect, left-hander Ricky Tiedemann, new outfielder Daulton Varsho, potential third baseman of the future Addison Barger. This week, Deep Left Field continues its coverage of Jays' spring training as host Mike Wilner catches up with Ricky Tiedemann, the 20-year-old who has dropped jaws all spring long; chats with Addison Barger, the rookie who homered up and over everything in the Jays' Grapefruit League opener; and plays "Meet The New Guy" with Daulton Varsho.

Guests: Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, manager John Schneider and reliever Tim Mayza. This week in Deep Left Field, we celebrate our 100th episode from Blue Jays Spring Training in Dunedin, Florida! Host Mike Wilner has a wide-ranging conversation with an introspective Bo Bichette, talks to John Schneider about his first spring as a big-league skipper (and about saving a life!) and checks in with the longest-serving current Jay, Tim Mayza.

Guests: Writer/Podcaster/Raconteur Drew Fairservice, late of the Spin Rate Podcast.  This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner opens the mailbag and calls on Drew Fairservice to help answer questions submitted by you, the listener. Among other things, they try to pinpoint a Blue Jays' 2023 win total, see where the Jays would fit if there's divisional realignment, decide how far is too far as regards cheating and the Hall of Fame and debate whether Dave Stieb's 37 should be retired in Toronto.

Guests: Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano and catcher Danny Jansen, Chicago Cubs reliever Ryan Borucki This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner brings together three best friends as Ryan Borucki, Danny Jansen and Jordan Romano talk about their journey through the minor leagues on the way to Toronto and how their friendship developed through small towns and injury rehab, with great stories along the way.

Guests: Blue Jays legend Jesse Barfield, Insider Investigative  Sports Reporter Bradford William Davis This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner talks to Blue Jays' all-timer Jesse Barfield in the wake of his election to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, and dives into Major League Baseball's use of different baseballs - especially in late-season games involving Aaron Judge - with Bradford William Davis.

Guests: Blue Jays first base/outfielders coach Mark Budzinski and Vancouver Canadians coach Ashley Stephenson This week in “Deep Left Field,” host Mike Wilner talks to Mark Budzinski about the Blue Jays' new-look outfield and what they might do with bigger bases and new rules in place, and checks in with Team Canada all-time great Ashley Stephenson as she gets set to leave for spring training and become the first female coach in the Jays' organization.

Guests: Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, Phillies manager (and Corunna, Ont. native) Rob Thomson. This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner talks to Kevin Gausman about starting the Jays' final game of 2022 and the changes the team has made heading into 2023; and talks to Rob Thomson about taking the Phillies to the World Series as a rookie manager, nearly 40 years after playing baseball for Canada at the Olympics.

Guests: Blue Jays right-hander Mitch White, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner shares his thoughts about the Jays' signing of 1B/DH Brandon Belt, then talks to Mitch White about the rough start to his Blue Jays' career and what he's looking forward to in 2023, and catches up with Pirates' skipper Derek Shelton, reminiscing about him spending 2017 on the Jays' coaching staff working under John Gibbons.

Guests: Sandy Jobin-Bevans, Paloma Nuñez and Pat Smith, Second City greats and stars of Canadian stage and screen This week in “Deep Left Field,” we assemble a panel of Canadian comedy greats who are also huge Blue Jays fans and talk to actors Sandy Jobin-Bevans (“Just Like Mom and Dad,” “Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle”), Paloma Nuñez (“Baroness Von Sketch Show,” “Upload”) and Pat Smith (“Travelers,” “Slap Shot Live!”) about the off-season so far!

Guests: Baseball writers Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic and Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune.  This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner gives his thoughts on the Blue Jays trade of Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to Arizona for Daulton Varsho, then convenes a baseball writers' panel to get the lowdown on the off-season so far from Kaitlyn McGrath and Meghan Montemurro.

Guests: Blue Jays centrefielder Kevin Kiermaier, San Francisco Giants pitcher Ross Stripling This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner sits down with Kevin Kiermaier to talk about the former Tampa Bay Ray's expectations as a Blue Jay in 2023 and how he plans to win over Jays' fans who might not love him; and catches up with Ross Stripling to find out how negotiations went down that saw him land in San Francisco, how close he came to staying with the Jays and how much he loved his time in Toronto.

Guests: Hall of Famer Fred McGriff, Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano This week in Deep Left Field, we discuss the signings of outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and right-hander Chris Bassitt and the departure of Ross Stripling. Then we talk to the Crime Dog, Fred McGriff, about his early years with the Blue Jays and his recent election to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and we catch up with Tip O'Neill Award winner Jordan Romano about the Canadian honour, the Jays' off-season moves and more!

Guests: Former Blue Jay and current MLB Network Host Mark DeRosa, Jays' Mental Skills Coach Jimmy Van Ostrand, Toronto Star columnist Gregor Chisholm. This week in Deep Left Field - from the Winter Meetings in San Diego - host Mike Wilner talks to former Baseball Canada star Jimmy Van Ostrand about Greg Hamilton winning Baseball America's Lifetime Achievement Award, assesses the Jays' San Diego inaction with Gregor Chisholm and has a great chat with Mark DeRosa, whose final big-league season was with the 2013 Blue Jays.

Guests: Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly, President Emeritus Paul Beeston and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner talks to Don Mattingly about joining John Schneider's coaching staff, chats with Paul Beeston about being part of the Hall of Fame Contemporary Baseball Era committee and catches up with R.A. Dickey, who is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time.

Guests: Blue Jays legend Ernie Whitt; Host of MLB Network Radio's "Power Alley" Mike Ferrin. This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner talks to Ernie Whitt about returning to manage Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic for a fifth time and also compares the current Blue Jays to the mid-'80s teams. Then Phoenix-based Mike Ferrin plays Let's Make A Deal between the Jays and Diamondbacks for one of Arizona's many centrefielders.

Guests: Free Agent pitcher Ross Stripling, Blue Jays prospect Spencer Horwitz  This week, host Mike Wilner brings back Long Toss With Ross and talks to Stripling about his first days of free agency, as well as the Teoscar trade, Vladdy winning a Gold Glove and Matt Chapman not winning one, then talks to Spencer Horwitz about being added to the Jays' 40-man roster and the work that got him there.

Guests: Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm; Rheostatics guitarist, author and West End Pheonix publisher Dave Bidini.  This week in Deep Left Field, host Mike Wilner goes over the Jays' doings at the General Managers' meetings in Las Vegas with Gregor Chisholm, live in Sin City, and has a great wide-ranging conversation with baseball romantic and Canadian indie music icon Dave Bidini.