
State of the Squad with John Schneider + Thad Levine!
From Blair & Barker by Sportsnet
May 1, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
John Schneider discusses the Blue Jays' current state and Thad Levine provides insights on MLB team dynamics.
Blue Jays Manager John Schneider joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker for his weekly chat! Skip shares the latest on José Berríos and Addison Barger as they continue to work back from injury, his takeaways from Trey Yesavage's return to the mound, and what he learned from the team's "State of the Squad" meeting. They also touch on his lineup's lack of home run production, what's changed for Daulton Varsho and Kazuma Okamoto at the plate, the keys to success for Patrick Corbin and Tyler Rogers, and how Jeff Hoffman has handled his role change. John wraps up with his thoughts on the Blue Jays' outlook heading into May with a 14-17 record. Later, Thad Levine (27:45), former Twins GM and co-host of Rosters to Rings, investigates Carlos Mendoza's vote of confidence in New York, the Red Sox clearing house, and the Phillies' struggles through April. They wrap up the week with discussion about a potential lockout in 2027 and what's on the table for both sides. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.
People in this episode
Hosts: Jeff Blair, Kevin Barker
Guests: John Schneider, Thad Levine
Topics covered
- Blue Jays
- baseball injuries
- team performance
- lineup analysis
- MLB outlook
- guest insights
- future of baseball
Keywords
- Blue Jays
- John Schneider
- Thad Levine
- injuries
- lineup
- home runs
- MLB
- Carlos Mendoza
- lockout
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Blue Jays, Twins, Red Sox, Phillies
More episodes of Blair & Barker
- Reinforcements on the Way + Jays Take on Judge-Less Yankees · June 12, 2026 · 50 min
- Alejandro Kirk Returns + How John Schneider Balances Workloads · June 12, 2026 · 50 min
- Triple-A Rehab Round-Up with Casey Candaele + Back Leg Line! · June 11, 2026 · 50 min
- What Does the Future Hold for Max Scherzer? · June 11, 2026 · 50 min
- Mad Max Returns, Pitching Report with Pete Walker + Josh Donaldson! · June 10, 2026 · 50 min
- Cease to Amaze, Valenzuela's Case and Springer's Future · June 10, 2026 · 50 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Blair & Barker podcast page.