Tim’s having fun out of state, so here’s me!

Team news

[Dbacks.com] Kelly amped to share rotation with Burnes in ’25 – “Corbin has earned it,” Kelly said. “He’s special, he’s a workhorse. I think we learned last year with all of us getting hurt that you can never have too much pitching.” But the good news for Kelly and the Diamondbacks is he came back healthy for the final two months of the season and now has had a full offseason under his belt. “I feel great,” Kelly said. “The shoulder feels great. It was good to have a full, healthy offseason, it’s been a little bit.”

[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks land in top 10 of ESPN’s starting rotation rankings – Coming off a season where expectations were high for the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation before ultimately a string of injuries combined with the lackluster performance of Jordan Montgomery proved to be major prohibitors, Arizona improved its already solid staff heading into the 2025 season. The addition of four-time All-Star and 2021 Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes sees the Diamondbacks slotted sixth in ESPN’s pitching rotation rankings for the 2025 season.

[MLB Trade Rumors] Looking For A Match In A Jordan Montgomery Trade – So long as the Diamondbacks aren’t looking to get anything of particular significance back in return, it’s relatively easy to imagine them being able to offload at least $15MM or so of Montgomery’s salary. Which teams could be best positioned to take a one-year roll of the dice on the lefty’s services? A look at nine potential suitors, listed alphabetically within tiers. [Best fits: Athletics, Braves, White Sox]

[SI] Should the Diamondbacks Reunite with Tommy Pham? – If Pham were willing to accept a part-time role as a right-handed bat off the bench, playing some right field and DH, he might still have something to offer. Without the wear and tear of playing every day, as well as the opportunity to face mostly left-handed pitching, he might be able to post reasonable numbers. Certainly there is familiarity and respect for Pham within the organization, and a reprise of his mentor’s role could bring an intangible value as well. The cost would certainly not be high at this point, perhaps just two or three million.

/waves in British

[SportsKeeda] Diamondbacks first baseman Josh Naylor married his longtime girlfriend Chantel Collado in a beautiful wedding ceremony on January 5, 2025. The couple first got their marriage sealed in a church, which was followed by an extravagant wedding reception in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The duo were born and brought up in Canada and while Josh Naylor took a knack for playing baseball, his wife Chantel Collado is a famous Canadian Latin singer.

And, elsewhere…

[ESPN] Wife of late Padres owner Peter Seidler sues for control of team – Sheel Seidler claims she and her three children have been “effectively ostracized” from the organization since Peter Seidler’s death 14 months ago. The suit names Robert and Matthew Seidler as defendants, accusing the brothers of “fiduciary breaches of trust, fraud, conversion and egregious acts of self-dealing” in their roles as trustees and executors of Peter Seidler’s estate. The Padres announced Dec. 21 that Peter’s oldest brother, John Seidler, would become the team’s control person, which Sheel opposed and claims went against her late husband’s wishes. In a letter to fans, Sheel called her complaint “a very last resort” to “protect my family and to continue to carry out Peter’s legacy.”

[Arizona Sports] Maricopa County Board to form committee dedicated to bringing back NHL – Newly elected chairman Thomas Galvin laid out his strategy for returning NHL hockey to the Valley… Galvin called losing a professional sports team a low point. “I think of Wayne Gretzky’s quote, ‘You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,’” Galvin said. “So, I’m forming an advisory committee of visionary leaders dedicated to bringing NHL hockey back to the Valley. I’ve had several meetings with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and he looks forward to working with us to identify an owner and best location for a world-class building.”

[MLB] Weathers braves temps to have a catch in Scotland – Locals taking in the Christmas market stared at the pair in confusion. On the last day of the trip, a security guard came up to them and requested they stop:

• “No, I promise. I’m not doing this out of leisure. I actually have to throw.”
• “Well, how many more do you have?”
• “I literally have like three to five more.”
• “What are you throwing for?”
• “I play baseball in America. It’s actually my job.”

Gladiator II (2024)

Rating: B-

Dir: Ridley Scott

Star: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen

This seeks to make up for in spectacle, what it lacks in emotional impact, a flaw largely dropped at the feet of Mescal. He rarely achieves the intensity reached by Crowe, and the loss of his family members didn’t provoke much more than a shrug. It’s more fun to watch the machinations of Macrinus, as he works behind the scenes to get the ear of the Emperors. Literally, hohoho. Though I guess he is still outranked by a monkey, one of the many ways in which the film plays fast and loose with history. Mind you, it’s more restrained than the Nick Cave sequel script, subtitled Christ Killer, which saw Maximus resurrected as a time-travelling assassin. I’m not kidding.

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