Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo candid about bullpen, understands jobs are at stake
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo opened up about why the team has struggled this season and says he is managing like his job is on the line.
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The Arizona Diamondbacks peaked at five games over .500 in mid-April.
Since then, injuries and misfortune took their toll and the D-backs became sellers at the trade deadline.
With postseason dreams falling by the wayside, players are fighting for their jobs, and manager Torey Lovullo is out to prove he is worthy for a 10th season calling the shots for Arizona.
“Every single day I should be managing to keep my job,” he said on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Wednesday. “It’s what I signed up for.”
The D-backs’ season is a bit of a microcosm of Lovullo’s career.
His nine-year tenure has seen highs and lows with the team making the World Series in 2023, two years after finishing with the second-worst record in franchise history (52-110).
“I’m not managing with any different intensity than I was during the 2023 season when we went to the World Series and I should be evaluated. That’s the spot we are always in, every single day, and that’s what make this game so great,” Lovullo said.
Injuries hit the Diamondbacks’ bullpen
Coming into the season with playoff expectations after signing starting pitcher Corbin Burnes and another season of growth expected from many of the pieces from the 2023 World Series team, things soured when the injury bug hit the bullpen.
A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez were supposed to be the 1-2 punch in the backend to shut the door on teams in close games.
They’ve combined for just 23.1 inning pitched this season.
“When those injuries happened, we took on a really, really big hit and we started to lose a lot of baseball games late. We had a number of games from the sixth inning on that we were leading or were ahead in that we ended up losing,” Lovullo said.
“I think we lost some confidence during those dark times.”
With just about one-third of the season remaining, the lull the D-backs are in is starting to wear off on the fan base and some are questioning if Lovullo should get another shot after two lackluster seasons, following the electrifying World Series run.
“We’re grinding, we’re in a little bit of a grind. We know that were challenged with some of the losses and some of the good and bad moments that we’ve been every single day. At the end of it, we’ve gotta win baseball games,” said Lovullo.
GM Mike Hazen passes along a message
Lovullo said a message was also passed along to the players by general manager Mike Hazen the day after the trade deadline.
Lovullo said Hazen made it clear that the end of the season matters, even if the likelihood of the playoffs seems to be slipping away.
“He told everyone in that room they’re going to be evaluated for today, tomorrow and next year,” Lovullo said.
“He said ‘don’t complain to me if I get player X to come in and play your position because you’re getting a great opportunity right now.”‘
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Comments
10 Comments
Where was this urgency back in July?
Where was the accountability?
Where was the speeches?
This team #1 priority is to get some testosterone and get a manager who can push players to their best.
I don’t know what team you’re looking at. Before the trade deadline they had 3 all stars (they could/should have had 2 more), Two pitchers that have consistently been in cy young contention over the last few years or so, one of the best #2 pitchers in the game in Kelly, and two very promising young arms in Nelson and Pfaadt. Not to mention the high end bullpen arms that blew out. If you want to argue that some of the players underachieved (Gallen), I’ll agree there, but going into the season it was a solid roster.
Lovullo’’s vibe is basically, oh well, we’ll get ‘em next time/that’s good enough/I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
I’m sure he’s a great guy, but he’s not the right man for a team with playoff aspirations. I team like that needs tough and gritty. Someone that can kick a player in the butt if needed and someone that can keep them focused on the prize. A player shouldn’t feel comfortable going into a manager’s office to ask for a day off during a n important game because he’s tired. Imagine, for a second, mark grace or Matt Williams going into Bob Brenly’s office to ask for the day off while the team is fighting for its life.