‘Be careful what you wish for’: D-backs could regret moving on from Lovullo
The Diamondbacks are at a crossroads when it comes to manager Torey Lovullo. Would firing him actually solve the team's issues?
Watch: Bickley Blast: The risk of firing Torey Lovullo | 9 mins
Barring a miracle finish, a momentous decision is looming. Do the Arizona Diamondbacks say goodbye to their longtime manager Torey Lovullo just because it’s time for a change, time for a fresh voice, time for something new?
Or would that be a stupid reason to ditch a manager who is a few victories removed from MLB Manager of the Year consideration?
These are very heavy questions because the Diamondbacks have made the playoffs twice in Lovullo’s 10 years. That’s not acceptable. But is it his fault?
Lovullo’s contract is up at the end of the season. He seems resigned to being gone if the team fails to make the postseason. But if you go back and check preseason predictions, most people didn’t expect much from this team. And that was before all the Ketel Marte drama.
There’s a belief that either Marte or Lovullo must go, that the status quo and preferential treatment cannot continue. But it would be wild to reward the player in that scenario, and there’s no guarantee a hard-ass manager gets more from our mercurial second baseman.
There was a time when the Diamondbacks thought they needed a new voice. They fired Bob Melvin, replaced him with A.J. Hinch and regretted it for the next half-decade.
So: Are we watching the real-time end of one of the longest-running shows in Arizona sports? It’s definitely possible, maybe even probable. But to the pitchfork crowd, a final warning:
Be careful what you wish for.
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Comments
77 Comments
I agree that TL is a good person but that is not a requirement to be a manager.
You stated that he is a very good MLB manager but you haven't provided facts just feelings and emotions. Where are the stats to confirm that he is a very good MLB manager?
If we look at TL's record from 2017 through the current 2026 season, his record puts him in the middle of the group of long-tenured MLB managers—not at the very top in regular-season winning percentage.
His winning percentage is .493 while the other long-term managers have winning percentages of .620, .539, 548 and .534
While I do believe that Hazen should be fired, I do believe in being fair and accurate with the facts. Currently, I am analyzing the free agent signings and trades that Hazen made in the off-season/pre-season. Here are the pitchers that were signed by Hazen as a major league free agent.
GOOD Free Agent Signings - Pitchers (Grade A)
1) Soroka: I think that this was the best signing that Hazen made.
2) Jonathan Loáisiga (initially signed to a minor-league free-agent contract on January 12, but he subsequently made the Opening Day roster...I counted him as a major league FA)
3) Taylor Clarke
SO-SO Free Agent Signings-Pitchers (Grade C)
1) Paul Sewald: Was able to save 23 games but reverted back to his July 2024 performance.
BAD Free Agent Signings-Pitchers (Grade F)
1) Gallen: Should have NEVER been signed…a waste of $22M. He was the worst starting pitcher in the MLB for the 2026 before his injury. He was one of the nine worst starting pitchers in the MLB for the 2025 season. There was NOTHING that occurred during the postseason or in spring training that pointed to Gallen returning to his 2022 season pitching form.
2) Kelly: Should have NEVER been signed…a waste of $40M. He is old and is past his prime. The injury that he had at the start of the season was the result of years of pitching.
I like Torey Lovullo. I mean, from what I've read and heard, he seems like the kind of guy I'd like to be friends with. Have a few beers, talk sh** about people, have some laughs, and a deepfelt hug at the end of the night.
But what I've seen for several years in a row now is a team with no huevos. They're in contention for a wild card in September, but while the competition surges, the Dbacks wilt like a 70 year old man on a hot date. They fade, the hitting disappears. They got no wood.
Is this merely a talent issue? My instinct says it is not -- if they had talent issues they would not be in reach of the playoffs in late September. To me it looks like a psychology problem. And the responsibility for the clubhouse mindset sits firmly on the shoulders of the manager.
His time here has run its course.