SnakeBytes 7/14: Back at it

Diamondbacks News

(AZ Central) Diamondbacks face Blue Jays for first time since hooking up for December blockbuster trade

When the Arizona Diamondbacks open the second half of the season in Toronto on Friday, it will mark a homecoming of sorts for catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. It will also provide an opportunity to take stock of the deal that sent them to Arizona in December 2022.

(Arizona Sports) Diamondbacks release 2024 schedule, open season vs. Rockies

The Arizona Diamondbacks released their 2024 schedule on Thursday.

The team will open up the new season at home against the Colorado Rockies from March 28-31 before welcoming the New York Yankees to town from April 1-3.

(SI.com) Bliss, Melendez Headline D-backs Prospect Promotions

The All-Star break serves not only as a chance for major league teams to reassess their direction in the season’s final three months, but also serves as a chance to promote prospects performing well. The Diamondbacks have announced a series of promotions, which we’ll break down here.

(The Philadelphia Inquirer) Diamondbacks’ Christian Walker walks barefoot on the stadium grass before games. Here’s why.

Players who participate in barefoot walking say the benefits are wide-ranging: Give the feet opportunity to move without the constraints of shoes to potentially decrease pain and inflammation, lower stress, and help normalize the nervous system for improved sleep and day-to-day function among other potential benefits for the heart, cortisol levels and mental health. No accepted scientific studies confirm grounding improves performance, but the players believe it.

MLB News

(The Athletic) MLB All-Star Game again draws record-low viewership, per reports: Could we see this coming?

The game, which saw the National League win for the first time in 11 years, reportedly averaged 7.006 million viewers on Fox. The previous low from 2022 was 7.507 million, which was a 10 percent decline from 2021.

(SI.com) MLB Insider Says New York Yankees Most Likely to go After Ohtani at Trade Deadline

With two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani set to become a free agent after the season, the question remains whether the Los Angeles Angels are going to trade him at the deadline or not.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, should Ohtani become available via trade, the New York Yankees are most likely to be his biggest suitors.

(MLB.com) These teams scored the best ‘23 Draft hauls

The Reds had poor luck in MLB’s inaugural Draft Lottery last December. Despite having the fourth-worst record, they came away with the seventh overall selection in a year with five players who would be legitimate No. 1 overall pick candidates in most Drafts.

Cincinnati held out some mild hope that one of those five would drop to No. 7 on Sunday night, but that didn’t happen. Instead, the Reds settled for assembling the best haul of talent among all 30 clubs, based on our first impressions.