On this week's Exit Philosophy, Griff and Mal break down the latest Toronto Blue Jays year-end review from Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins and look ahead to the biggest questions facing the Jays heading into the 2027 season.

With the MLB offseason underway, what could a potential Dec. 1 lockout mean for the Blue Jays' plans for 2027? Griff and Mal examine the potential impact on Toronto's offseason strategy, roster construction and free-agent plans.

The discussion also focuses on Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his offensive struggles, what the Blue Jays should do to get Vlad back on track, and whether Ernie Clement should have a permanent role as a starter. Plus, why Randy Arozarena could be an intriguing fit for the Blue Jays in free agency.

Griff and Mal also break down the current MLB playoff picture, including the surprising number of teams from the bottom half of MLB payrolls still competing, and what that could mean for the future of baseball's competitive landscape.

Plus, the guys unveil their projected Blue Jays starting lineup for 2027, discuss the biggest offseason priorities and look at what Toronto needs to do to get back into contention.

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

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For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/

The Toronto Blue Jays' 2026 season is officially over, and the finale at Rogers Centre was filled with emotion, controversy and plenty to discuss on Exit Philosophy.

Max Scherzer and George Springer received emotional farewell tributes in front of an appreciative Blue Jays crowd as Toronto closed out a disappointing 2026 season. But did the focus on two departing stars overshadow the bigger story of an 80-82, sub-.500 finish?

Then there's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and his controversial Spanish-language interview in Baltimore. What happened, how did the comments become such a major story, and what can the Blue Jays and Vlad learn from the situation going forward?

With Toronto's season over, Exit Philosophy also previews all four 2026 MLB Wild Card Series and examines the teams that were the biggest disappointments around Major League Baseball.

Plus, more Blue Jays offseason questions, MLB playoff discussion and plenty more from Griff and Mal.

#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #VladimirGuerreroJr #MaxScherzer #GeorgeSpringer #MLBPlayoffs #WildCard #BlueJays2026 #ExitPhilosophy

INDEX:

0:00 Intro

0:30 Jays' End of Season Drama

1:25 Scherzer & Springer Farewells

9:24 Valenzuela on Scherzer

14:14 Vlad's Controversial Interview

28:04 Jays Finish 80-82

34:43 MLB Wild Card Preview

39:06 2026 Blue Jays Strengths & Weaknesses

45:24 MLB's Most Disappointing Teams

49:20 Giants' Tony Vitello Experiment

52:49 What Do the Jays Need for 2027?

58:33 NFL Week 3 Talk

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

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For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/

This week on Exit Philosophy, Griff and Mal break down the Toronto Blue Jays' final nine games of the season and the decisions facing manager John Schneider as the Jays navigate a thin three-man rotation and a bullpen that needs to be ready every day.

With the Blue Jays playoff push entering crunch time, can Schneider think outside the box with his pitching staff? What does the bullpen look like down the stretch, and should Joe Mantiply and Michael Lorenzen continue to be used in high-leverage situations?

Plus, Shane Bieber has an interesting conversation with Griff about his future, including the possibility of betting on himself with a short-term contract in hopes of maximizing a bigger free-agent deal down the road—and whether the Toronto Blue Jays could be a fit in 2027.

The guys also look ahead to the Blue Jays offseason, including what Toronto needs to do to improve its offence, potential roster moves, and whether this could be the organization's best rookie class since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette debuted in 2019.

Subscribe to Exit Philosophy for more Blue Jays analysis, MLB news, player discussions, playoff coverage and Toronto Blue Jays offseason talk.

#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNews #ExitPhilosophy #ShaneBieber

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

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For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/

Blue Jays Wild Card Push: Are They Emerging as the Team to Beat? | Keegan Matheson Joins Exit Philosophy

On this week's Exit Philosophy, Mal and Griff welcome MLB.com Blue Jays beat writer and author Keegan Matheson as guest host for a wide-ranging discussion about the Toronto Blue Jays and their push for the American League Wild Card.

With the postseason race heating up, has the Blue Jays' recent surge made them the favourite to claim the final AL Wild Card spot? The guys break down the Jays' playoff chances, the starting rotation, bullpen workload, injuries, and the impact of the team's emerging rookies.

Keegan brings a fresh perspective on what has been one of the busiest bullpens in the American League, the Blue Jays' pitching depth, and the players making an impact down the stretch. Plus, a closer look at what makes Brett Bateman so special and, of course, plenty of discussion about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

The episode also begins with personal reflections and memories of September 11, 2001, before turning to the Blue Jays' increasingly fascinating October chase.

Toronto Blue Jays | Blue Jays Playoffs | AL Wild Card | MLB | Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Brett Bateman | Keegan Matheson | Blue Jays News | Blue Jays Podcast

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

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For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/

The AL Wild Card race is WILD — and with just 21 games remaining, the Toronto Blue Jays are right in the middle of the fight to become the best mediocre team in the American League.

On this episode of Exit Philosophy, Griff and Mal break down the chaotic Wild Card race. Who are the real contenders, which teams have fallen out, and can the Blue Jays actually make a playoff run?

The boys also examine the Jays' injury situation. Do Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and Anthony Santander have enough time to return from injury and become factors down the stretch?

The Blue Jays' series against Cleveland was filled with fundamental mistakes, defensive lapses and throwing errors, reigniting a bigger debate about the direction of baseball. Is the sport putting too much emphasis on athleticism and getting young players to the major leagues before they are truly ready — and has the importance of fundamentals been lost?

Finally, Griff and Mal dive into MLB labour relations, discussing the strategies players and owners could use as baseball heads toward what could be an inevitable off-season showdown.

Wild Card chaos. Injuries. Fundamentals. Player development. MLB labour. It's all on the table.

Subscribe to Exit Philosophy with Griff & Mal and join the conversation

INDEX:

0:00 - Intro

1:15 - Wild AL Wild Card Race + Blue Jays Outlook and Chances

30:25 - Is there a baseball fundamentals problem in the big leagues? + Athleticism reigns supreme

42:40 - MLB News and Notes

1:02:20 - Outro

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

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For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/

The playoff clock is ticking for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays, with fan frustration boiling over after Thursday's loss to the Royals. Should Toronto shift its goal to simply finishing the season at .500?

Griff and Mal also discuss Michael Lorenzen's long road back, Brett Bateman's surprising emergence and his potential importance to the 2027 Blue Jays, while paying tribute to Buck Martinez and remembering legendary Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet.

All that and more on Exit Philosophy.

INDEX:

0:00 -Intro

0:40 - Buck Martinez Day Celebration

7:50 - R.I.P. Jacques Doucet

16:50 - KC Royals Series Debacle + Michael Lorenzen

27:48 - The Fans are Booing Vlad + What is the Solution?

38:40 - The AL Wildcard Picture

48:40 - Is Brett Bateman the Starting CF in 2027?

52:12 - 2027 Pitching Staff

57:13 - MLB News

1:01:25 - Outro

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

----

For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/

The Toronto Blue Jays enter the final 36 games of the MLB season in a seven-team race for the final American League Wild Card spot. What are the Jays' realistic playoff chances, are they better after the trade deadline, and how should Ross Atkins be graded for his unique approach as both buyers and sellers?

Would an 81-win, .500 season be enough for Blue Jays fans? Plus, we discuss Tommy John's Hall of Fame case, Ricky Tiedemann's future, Brett Bateman's potential, and the Blue Jays' playoff push on this week's Exit Philosophy.

#TorontoBlueJays #MLB #Sports #BaseballPodcasts

INDEX:

• 0:00 Intro

• 0:31 Tommy John RIP

• 7:58 Jays' Wild Card Hopes

• 10:54 The Tropicana Field Curse

• 12:44 Are the Final 30 Games Easy?

• 14:41 The Math Problem

• 16:07 Is .500 Good Enough?

• 17:17 Fixing the Offense

• 19:44 Ranking the 7 Wild Card Contenders

• 22:01 2025 vs. 2026 Jays

• 33:33 Who Is Brett Bateman?

• 37:27 What Is an MLB "Gruelling" Schedule?

• 45:09 Grading Ross Atkins' Trade Deadline

• 50:24 Tiedemann, Estrada & Jays' Farm System

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

----

For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/

#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #VladimirGuerreroJr #MaxScherzer #GeorgeSpringer #AlejandroKirk #MLBPodcast #BaseballPodcast #BlueJaysNation #ExitPhilosophy #MLBTradeDeadline #TorontoSports #BaseballAnalysis #JaysTalk

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Get the video version of "Exit Philosophy" and "Conversations with Griff" on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@ExitPhilosophy

----

For the full catalogue of Richard Griffin's work, including weekly Blue Jays/MLB columns, a weekly MLB Power Rankings column, exclusive conversations with some of the game's greats, past and present, and the Exit Philosophy podcast, visit https://www.griffsthepitch.com/