Boaz Witbeck

@DbacksStatsInfo ouch

#Dbacks Opening Day Lineup Projection-- (Assuming no OF Corbin Carroll) v. RHP SS Perdomo 2B Marte 3B Arenado C Moreno 1B Santana DH Del Castillo CF Thomas LF Barrosa RF Lawlar or Tawa RHP Merrill Kelly

Check out my latest article for Philanthropy Daily (@amphil). One of my favorite topics to address with Christians in fundraising is "The Spirituality of #Fundraising" by Henri Nouwen. This article is in the same spirit. philanthropydaily.com/the-apostle-pa…

@Gambo987 Seems like it gives Ildemaro Vargas a spot. Seems like there are only nominally better guys in free agency (Kiké Hernandez, Gio Urshela) who could play 3B as a backup. You thinking another trade?

The Diamondbacks have traded Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles for reliever Kade Strowd. Strowd is young (28), was lights out in September, has a great fastball and does have options. He will have a chance to make the roster out of spring training but not likely as a back-end guy. He joins the list of arms like Burgos, Morillo, Garcia and Huffman who give Arizona depth in the pen. Dbacks will be actively looking for an Alexander replacement as his departure does leave them a little short.

@HexagonGuy221 @MLBNetwork @MLBNow seriously

@MLBNetwork @MLBNow So the guy who was top 5 (should’ve been top 3) in mvp voting isn’t even top 5 at his own position?

Geraldo Perdomo is the No. 6 shortstop on @MLBNow's #Top10RightNow.

@MrAzSports 3B Depth is very helpful and it doesn't look like we gave up much. I think Blaze would be in theory a really good LF and backup 2B.

I don't understand why we would trade for Nolen Arendao. Will be 35 this season, under contract for 2 years 31m. 1.3 War last season. Seems like a lot of money. I hope this isn't true. Rather run Blaze or Lawlar at 3rd and use 15m on pitching somehow? Bullpen guys? Thoughts

@shoewizard59 @JesseNFriedman Jack was right. @Dbacks made a move this week. Looks like I'm not eligible for the money back guarantee anymore.

@SleeperDbacks vs RHP, 5. vs LHP 2.

On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel about Adrian Del Castillo as Arizona's full-time DH in 2026?

Maduro’s capture illustrates what I believe is one of the biggest problems in politics: people frequently treat principles as costumes—worn when convenient, discarded when costly. Over nearly two decades working in and around politics, I’ve watched the same pattern play out again and again—and today’s events in Venezuela put it on display in neon. The US military carried out strikes in Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, flying them to New York in what the administration is framing as a kind of “law enforcement” operation.  Look, there are plenty of people who never even pretend to have a core set of principles they cling to. They’re utilitarians and technocrats—ruled by polling, vibes, ambition, and career incentives. Fine. At least they’re honest about being wind vanes. But most people do claim to stand for a consistent set of ideas—constitutional restraint, limited government, “America First,” non-intervention, rule of law, due process, sovereignty, you name it. The problem is that they’re often inconsistent, especially when the outcome is emotionally satisfying. Today proved that again. People who claim to champion the Constitution suddenly ignore its restraints on executive power and, when pressed, point to court precedent, congressional statutes, and past presidential deviations as if those things are the Constitution. “But… the Barbary pirates!” “But George H.W. Bush removed Noriega in Panama!” “But the courts said XYZ!” “But Congress passed some statute in 199-whatever!” So I’ve asked a simple question, repeatedly, across social media threads today: Where, exactly, is the constitutional provision authorizing the president to invade another country and depose its leader? The replies come back empty, no constitutional provision cited. They can't, because it doesn't exist. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. No "targeted strikes" or anything of the like are separately authorized for the president to execute at his whim. That’s the whole point of written limits: the text is supposed to bind you. Instead, we get arguments that past presidents did it, and some lawyers said it was okay. This is tantamount to saying “Billy did it, so I thought it was okay for me to do it.” That’s playground logic, not constitutional rigor. And that’s my point: there is no rigor. There’s only precedent—meaning, prior lawlessness used to justify the next round of lawlessness. The administration itself appears to be leaning on the idea that indictments and “national interests” somehow transform regime change into a lawful “arrest mission.” Trump was elected in part because people were exhausted by foreign meddling. He was praised (by some of these same voices!) for resisting the interventionist itch. And now he’s kicking up dirt in Venezuela. “But Venezuelans are happy!” the commenters have repeatedly said. “They’re in the streets celebrating!” Yes. Sometimes they are. That’s not a serious argument. That’s the-ends-justify-the-means dressed up as compassion—again, playground-level reasoning. Guess what: Iraqis filled the streets when Saddam was deposed. “Baghdad Celebrates Saddam’s Fall,” read a headline in Voice of America, for an article describing dancing and cheering as thousands poured into the streets.  Then Iraq spiraled into insurgency, sectarian civil war, mass death, displacement, and the conditions that helped give rise to ISIS. Libyans filled the streets when Gaddafi fell. So then we got an article titled “Libyans celebrate Gaddafi’s death” in Al Jazeera, describing jubilant crowds and the “end of tyranny.”  Then Libya fractured into militias and rival governments, becoming a prolonged civil conflict and a humanitarian disaster. I could go on. You get the pattern. Here’s the deeper point that people keep refusing to learn: if your principles only apply when they’re easy, you don’t have principles… you have preferences. And preferences make terrible guardrails for state power. Every time you cheer an exception, you’re not just celebrating a moment… you’re authoring a precedent. You're excusing the next guy, in any political party, and for any reason, to do it too. If you’re applauding unilateral regime change today because the target is a villain, you’re also applauding unilateral regime change tomorrow when the target is someone you don’t want touched. Power doesn’t care about your intentions (or your preferences). It cares about the permission slip we seemingly always give it. To be clear: Maduro is no hero. He’s a tyrant who has presided over ruin and repression. But the question isn’t whether Maduro is bad (he obviously is). The question is whether we are governed by law or by appetite. Because “he’s bad” is not a constitutional argument, nor is "Venezuelans are happy and freer." It’s the (fake) argument every president uses when he wants to do something he has already decided to do. And this is why presidents since Washington have gotten away with exceeding constitutional limits: because the public trains them to. They learn that violating restraints can spark national pride, satisfy a thirst for vengeance, and earn adoration from people who swear they oppose unchecked power—right up until it produces an outcome they like. You want a country of laws? Then act like law matters when it’s inconvenient. Stop treating the Constitution as a decoration. Stop citing precedent as if it were permission. Stop excusing today’s overreach because you hate today’s target. Because the bill always comes due, and the payment is usually made by people who never voted for the war, never authorized the mission, and never wanted their country turned into the kind of thing it once claimed to oppose. So yes, we can answer James Madison’s question: “Will it be sufficient… to trust to these parchment barriers (i.e., the Constitution) against the encroaching spirit of power?” Obviously not. Parchment only restrains power when the people treat it as a leash—not a suggestion. When half the country cheers the leash getting snapped because their guy did it to their enemy, the paper might as well not exist. And that's the cycle we've long been in. Yes, Venezuela may be a little freer, for now. But listen to the triumphalism in Trump's announcement. In the same breath as announcing Maduro’s capture, he talked about sending in “our very large United States oil companies,” and about the U.S. “running” Venezuela's government “until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.” This is the raw material of unintended consequences: blowback, corruption, and the kind of protracted entanglement that turns “just this once” into the next twenty years. Count me out. I've seen this story before, and I don't like how it ends.

Fantastic win for @RepThomasMassie.

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for encouraging my colleagues to vote YES on our important legislation to release the Epstein files. politico.com/news/2025/11/1…

With SNAP benefits not being issued as scheduled this month, Americans have a unique opportunity to serve our communities & be good neighbors. If you’re looking for an easy resource to direct you on where to give, click this link and enter your ZIP code: findhelp.org

@SleeperDbacks Probably not assuming we're budget constrained. We need SP and RP much more than a 3B/DH.

Should the #Dbacks look to bring Geno back to the desert? 👀

100% agree. If you think student loans are bad right now, this would cause an even worse problem.

@shoewizard59 @zyxnix where did you hear them?

@zyxnix SE Valley is a big place ;)

Insult to injury People are setting off fireworks in the South East Valley Damn

You probably don't want us anywhere near a remodel

How was Aspen, CO during peak leaf peeping season? 10/10 leaves! 🍁🍂 Would highly recommend. Perfect weather too. Just don’t get surprised by a moose 40 feet away during rutting season. 🫎😨 #maroonbells #hanginglake

אחרי שנתיים בשבי: עמרי מירן פוגש את בנותיו עלמה ורוני (צילום: ברק מאיר, לע"מ)

@blakemurphy7 @Gambo987 agree, Blake

@Gambo987 Steal if you get late season Gallen, questionable length if early season for 4 years vs. two...I'd roll the dice and go yes.

Would you do 4 years $80 million to keep Zac Gallen???

@alexjweiner *mind blown*

Torey Lovullo said they took the bunt sign off with two strikes to James McCann. McCann went for it anyway, and he dropped down a perfect sacrifice.  "Mentally, I sold out that I had three opportunities to get it down, and I got it down when it mattered most."

Updated Chart after Mets victory today. D-backs 2 games back. If they tie Mets, they'll have the tie-breaker too. Impossible to tie Mets and not have better divisional record. Remaining schedule: NY Mets: 3 vs WSN, 3 @ CHC, 3 @ MIA D-backs: 3 vs PHI, 3 vs LAD, 3 @ SDP