Blue Jays Talk

Blake Murphy is joined by The Athletic's Kaitlyn McGrath to discuss Whit Merrifield's ideal defensive position, how it will impact Santiago Espinal's playing time at second base, when she expects the team to utilize Zach Pop out of the bullpen, and scans the Jays' prospect pool to find a pitcher deserving of a call-up (04:51). FanGraphs' Dan Szymborksi gives his thoughts on if the Twins will be the only team with a playoff berth in the AL Central, the difficulties of projecting the playoff picture, if Merrifield fits well in the centre field, and how the Jays and Mariners' rosters compare post-trade deadline (25:49). Later on, The Athletic's Eno Sarris shares why he is intrigued about the Jays' acquisition of Pop and Anthony Bass from the Marlins, the type of slider both relievers provide, if Mitch White has a path to becoming an effective back-end starter, and how he would use Yusei Kikuchi for the rest of the year (50:29). Afterward, Access Twins' Brandon Warne gives his perspective on the upcoming Twins-Ja