Around The Nest Episode 9: Wrapping Up the Regular Season

In the penultimate episode of the 2023 season, host Tyler Zickel (Vancouver Canadians) chats with fellow broadcasters Chris Valentine (Dunedin Blue Jays) and Gareth Kwok (New Hampshire Fisher Cats) to wrap up the minor league regular campaign. The Nest crew talk about the top bats, arms, and moments this year in the Blue Jays minor league system, including names like Jace Bohrofen, Alan Roden, Josh Kasevich, Mason Fluharty, Adrian Hernandez, Adam Macko, Lazaro Estrada, Kendry Rojas, Ian Churchill, Michael Tirconi, Miguel Hiraldo, and CJ van Eyk.
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ATW Episode 281: Bottom Feeding

Greg and Josh discuss the latest in Blue Jays land starting with the 9-3 overall record against the league bottom feeders including a sweep of the Royals that included some red flags that have shown up in the Texas series. They also go over the first few games of the Texas series and what has gone wrong, the continued strong offensive showing of the Buffalo Boys, Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement and Spencer Horwitz, the pitching hitting a bit of a wall at the worst time and the bizarre Alek Manoah saga with the news of his anger over his option.
They also give out a Do Over to an odd situation in Seattle.
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ATW Episode 280: Flipping the Birds

Greg and Josh discuss the latest news around the Blue Jays including the recent rash of injuries to key members of the lineup, Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman and now Danny Jansen, that luckily has had good performance from the replacements, the recent tough performance from a few pitchers, including Mayza, Jackson and especially Berríos, the continued excellence of Hyun-Jin Ryu, an improved offence being led by a resurgent Alejandro Kirk and a look ahead at the upcoming schedule.
They also give a Do Over to John Schneider for his explanation of a managerial decision and discuss the Angels’ waiving of 1/4 of their roster.
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Around The Nest Episode 8: Shaking and Baking in New Hampshire

It’s time for host Tyler Zickel (Vancouver Canadians) to perform a check-in on the Blue Jays minor league system to see who has been performing during these dog days of summer.
Pat Malacaro (Buffalo Bisons) leads off from Syracuse, NY to talk about the lengthening of the Bisons’ lineup with the return of Nathan Lukas and Ernie Clement to triple-A to complement Spencer Horwitz and Rafael Lantigua who just know how to put the bat on the ball. Addison Barger has become the team’s everyday right fielder, stunning fans and broadcasters with his cannon of an arm. Speedster Cam Eden has passed mailman Roemon Fields to take the Bisons’ single-season stolen base record with 45 (and counting). Pat wraps up his segment talking about how Bisons superfan Mark Aichinger is getting his own bobblehead day in September.
Steve Goldberg (New Hampshire Fisher Cats) re-joins Around The Nest to speak with Zick about some former C’s who had been promoted. Alan Roden has kept his consistent approach after arriving in double-A and is finding success, starter Michael Dominguez recorded nine strikeouts against the Rumble Ponies, and the “Shake & Bake” duo of Mason Fluharty and TJ Brock are now the leverage arms in the Fisher Cats’ bullpen. Steve also takes us for an audio tour around the new training facilities at Delta Dental Stadium.
To wrap up the show, Chris Valentine (Dunedin Blue Jays) banters with Tyler about the two lowest rungs of the ladder. The Canadians have hit a bit of a dry spell, getting no-hit at home and losing several consecutive games, but are still seeing a great performance from big guy Peyton Williams, who is sporting a .311/.385/.556 slash line in August. Chris gushes about the D-Jays’ Lazaro Estrada, who has been deploying a wipeout slider that is impossible to hit by right handers in his transition from late-inning bulk guy to a legit starter. Outfielder Jace Bohrofen (6th round, 2023) slugged five homers over his first five games after being promoted out of the FCL and Chay Yeager (12th round, 2023) is throwing 96 mph fastballs out of the ‘pen. The two broadcasters then chatted about Jeff Wehler in Vancouver and Davis Feldman in Dunedin providing a solid veteran presence in their respective clubhouses.
 
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ATW Episode 279: Groundhog Day

Greg and Josh discuss the latest developments for the Blue Jays including the still-performing pitching staff, the injury returns, including a rejuvenated-looking Jordan Romano, that will provide even more depth and rest to one another, the Alek Manoah demotion to nowhere and the patience we should have with the situation, the still struggling offence despite better RISP numbers in the month of August and a few extra power displays and Paul DeJong joining Brad Hand on an inauspicious list.
They also answer listener questions.
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ATW Episode 278: Boston Bloopers

Greg and Josh discuss the latest in Blue Jays land including the historic debut from Davis Schneider and the skillset that lends credibility to the belief that he will continue to contribute, Alek Manoah’s strong return from the awful events of his last start, baserunning follies in Boston, the continued excellent pitching from Yusei Kikuchi, and encouraging start for Ryu that ended in injury, prognoses for the injured Ryu, Romano and Bichette and a ridiculous injury to Chad Green.
They also answer listener questions and give a Do Over to the Baltimore Orioles.
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Around The Nest Episode 7: Davis Schneider at the Top of the Ladder

Starting from low-A Dunedin, broadcaster Chris Valentine speaks about Roque Salinas, whose bat finally caught fire in July, J.J. Sanchez’s 95-mph fastball, Josh Mollerus’ wipeout slider, and Kelena Sauer’s sweeping slider. Podcast host and voice of the Vancouver Canadians Tyler Zickel then speaks about his team being the first affiliate in the Blue Jays organization to reach 60 wins and Wednesday’s cycle completed by Michael Turconi. Bob Lipman then joins the conversation from New Hampshire where the Fisher Cats now have a brand new rotation, with all five starting pitchers from the beginning of the season switched out with the recent departure of Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse. Bob also gives an update on Steward Berroa, Phil Clarke, and Trevor Schwecke. Up at triple-A, Bisons’ play-by-play guy Pat Malacaro looks back at Davis Schneider’s rung-by-rung progression up the Blue Jays’ minor league ladder and looks forward to the upcoming two weeks of high-intensity baseball as Buffalo makes a push to enter the International League playoffs.
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ATW Episode 277: The Trade Deadline (not so) Special

Greg and Josh go over the moves made and not made the trade deadline. They discuss the pickup of leverage reliever Jordan Hicks and what he’ll bring to the Jays’ bullpen in terms of performance and variability, the cost of Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein, the pickup of Paul DeJon and what he’ll bring as both a temporary starter while Bo Bichette recovers and as a reserve afterwards, and finally the move that wasn’t made for a RH bat and why that is a problem that comes with extra risk.
They also answer listener questions
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ATW Episode 276: The Génesis of an Idea

Greg and Josh discuss the up and down road trip that led to a split against good teams, but got there in disappointing ways, the very tired bullpen thanks to the disappointing offence, the reinforcements such as the acquisition of Génesis Cabrera and imminent return of Chad Green, how the 6-man rotation with Hyun-Jin Ryu will hurt the bullpen depth, Jordan Romano’s injury and how they’d cover the closer role, a lineup shuffle at the top and potential activity at the trade deadline.
They also give out a Do Over to Buck Martinez and a Gold Star to the Brewers stadium ops team.
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Around The Nest Episode 6: Walking Off Sunshine

Broadcaster Gareth Kwok’s Fisher Cats are still waiting on their first walkoff of 2023, but the broadcasters from the other affiliates talk about the most exciting walkoffs of the season so far. The Bisons’ Pat Malacaro tells us his team is finally getting consistency from the starting nine and the starters, Ernie Clement and Spencer Horwitz’s dual five-hit day, Orelvis Martinez’s triple-A debut, and Zach Thompson’s season reset while he was on waivers. Double-A New Hampshire has not really be consistent, but Gareth gives us positive updates about Leo Jimenez’s on-base streak, Rainer Nuñez sliding into the middle of the lineup, and Adam Kloffenstein’s success in his second season in the Eastern League. In the last segment, host Tyler Zickel of the Vancouver Canadians banters with Chris Valentine of the Dunedin Blue Jays about the D-Jays’ rough patch in July and the C’s remaining red-hot. We also get updates about Ryan McCarty, Victor Mesia, Jean Arnaez, Rafael Sanchez, Deveraux Harrison, Michael Dominguez, and Pat Gallagher.
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