If the D-backs resolution was to do nothing in 2025, so far they’re sticking to it.
Team news
[Ballpark Digest] D-Backs, Phoenix look to state for Chase Field renovations funding – With the decision made to stay in downtown Phoenix, the Arizona Diamondbacks and state officials are seeking funding options for Chase Field renovations–with a local sales-tax rebate next on the agenda… Diverting all or part of a 5.6-percent sales tax paid in the ballpark area might be ideal for low-tax Republican legislators. The ballpark is owned by Maricopa County–which has rejected other renovation plans–but by limiting a sales tax to ballpark visitors, it means the tax beneficiaries (local fans, visiting Dodgers fans) will be funding the Chase Field renovations.
[SI] Is Alek Thomas Primed for a Bounce-Back Year in 2025? – If he can start to lift the ball or drive it to the outfield, he will likely meet these projections and come close to reaching his potential. If he doesn’t, he will be a good defensive fourth outfielder that will fall short of the projections. This season could decide whether Thomas is ultimately meant to be a starting centerfielder in baseball or an above-average fourth outfielder with his defense but light-hitting. The advanced and expected stats are there but now it’s time for Thomas to turn that into real-life performances.
[Dbacks.com] Prospects headed to D-backs instructional camp – From Monday through Jan. 25, the Diamondbacks will host approximately 60 of their top prospects for an instructional camp to give them a head start heading into Spring Training. In the past, teams would usually hold instructional camps at the end of the Minor League season, but it became clear that it was more advantageous to hold them before Spring Training. “I think the challenge that a lot of times teams faced with that was that these players just had a really long season, they hadn’t been home for a while, they were gassed,” Arizona farm director Chris Slivka said.
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks claim former Rays catcher Rene Pinto – Arizona’s 40-man roster is at 39 players, and Pinto is the fourth catcher along with Gabriel Moreno, Adrian Del Castillo and Jose Herrera. Pinto, 28, has spent the past 12 years in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization with 82 MLB games played over the past three years. The Orioles claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay earlier this offseason. In 154 plate appearances over the past two years, Pinto produced a batting line of .241/.275/.448 with eight home runs and six doubles. In 53 games for Triple-A Durham last year, he slashed .191/.257/.373.
And, elsewhere…
[Newsweek] Roki Sasaki’s ‘Mystery Team’ Revealed in New Report – Sasaki, a talented right-handed pitcher from Japan, was reported last week to have serious interest from a “mystery team” beyond the group of seven widely reported to have met with him this offseason: the Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Mets, Yankees, Cubs, and Rangers. On Monday, Ken Rosenthal and Andy McCullough of The Athletic reported the Toronto Blue Jays met with Sasaki in Canada. That would make them the first team to secure a meeting with the free agent from Japan beyond his agent’s home base of Los Angeles.
[NJ.com] MLB comes down hard on interfering Yankees fans from World Series – Major League Baseball has banned the two Yankees fans who interfered with Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during Game 4 of the World series from attending any major-league games. The fans, Austin Capobianco and John P. Hansen, were sent a letter this week informing them of the decision. The letter said, “You are also hereby banned indefinitely from attending any events sponsored by or associated with MLB. Please be advised that if you are discovered at any MLB property or event, you will be removed from the premises and subject to arrest for trespass.”
[MLB] Is the 6-man rotation a trend or a phase? – Starts on 5 days’ rest are now more common than on 4 days’ rest… Why? There’s no shortage of theories. Maybe more rest keeps pitchers healthier; maybe more rest makes them more effective; maybe having more starters takes stress off the bullpen; maybe you have enough starters that you’d rather not throw any out of the bullpen; maybe some “starts” are in reality just “bullpen games,” and so forth. These are all compelling theories, albeit none really proven out. Maybe it’s all of those, to some extent. But we’d also argue another theory, too: It’s connected in some part to how much baseball needs to be played in a season, and how much time passes between those seasons.
North by Northwest (1959)
Rating: B
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Star: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll
North by Northwest [is] a staple on ‘best of’ lists, which was named the greatest thriller of all time as recently as 2022. It’s a dilemma. For the thriller elements might be near-perfect. But any time this tries to do action, it’s a painful reminder of how much better things are in that department nowadays. Take the crop duster sequence (top), lauded as iconic, and described at the above link as the film’s “killer moment”. I beg to differ. It’s an unconvincing combination of green screen and location work. It never generates much threat, and makes little story sense, because it’s a ludicrously complex means to the end: disposing of hero Roger Thornhill (Grant). Send out a competent guy with a sniper rifle. Problem solved.