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Former MLB right fielder and current hitting coach for the Tampa Bay Rays Chad Mottola (0:34) joins Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker to chat about what makes a great run producer, the types of development paths for his hitters, if batter technology has caught up to pitcher tech, the transition back to playing at Tropicana Field after a season at Steinbrenner Field, the next steps in Junior Caminero's offence, Kevin Cash's managerial philosophy, and how to be athletic in a player's at-bats. Then, MLB Insider and Sportsnet Blue Jays reporter Ben Nicholson-Smith (25:08) takes a look at how the baseball club are either actively looking or just monitoring the pitching market, if an impact player on both sides could be moved earlier in the trade market, the clubhouse vibe around the quarter mark, if John Schneider would consider moving Vlad Jr. in the lineup, Jeff Hoffman's potential return to the 9th inning, Brandon Valenzuela's adjustment to the Majors, and Andrés Giménez's hot bat.
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.
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"Checking the Pitching Market + Rays' Hitting with Coach Chad Mottola" is an episode of Blair & Barker. Runtime 49 min. Published May 12, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.