Torey Lovullo deserved his new contract after one of his best performances in a decade

Nice guys don’t always finish last. Sometimes, they get the justice they deserve.

That’s the story of Torey Lovullo and how the Diamondbacks manager earned another contract despite missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.

Because it wasn’t his fault. Because he deserves another chance to make things right.

Many of Lovullo’s critics are incensed. They do not value how much he cares about his players, or how much he cares about all of us in Arizona. They do not recognize the breadth of his skill set and how he navigates the complexities of modern baseball. He is excellent at curating clubhouse culture while also serving as an extension of the front office, as all managers must in 2026.

It’s a tough tightrope to walk, full of many misdirected arrows.

Some hardliners demand better results, and that’s fair. But Lovullo guided this team to 86 wins despite a torturous season full of injuries, underperformance and unnecessary drama. Until Game No. 161, his handling of the bullpen was stellar.

Lovullo would also be hired in a heartbeat if the Diamondbacks let him walk, leading to an honest question for all the Torey trolls: Why do you think you know more about Lovullo’s value than rival clubs in Major League Baseball?

Lovullo has his blind spots. He seems too loyal to veterans and too quick to bench younger players. At times, he’s too syrupy, sounding more like a therapist than a manager. He never airs out his team in press conferences, and his relentless positivity often sounds like he’s gaslighting the fan base.

That’s also because Lovullo has been here for 10 years. We’ve heard a lot of talk and seen very little of the postseason.

While it’s true that Lovullo doesn’t exactly strike fear in the clubhouse the way a vindictive and callous manager might, it’s also true that fear is a cowardly tactic for any leader. It’s effective for a while, but in the end, it only breeds resentment. Plus, there’s absolutely zero evidence that the players have tuned him out or grown tired of his voice. And I credit team president and CEO Derrick Hall for going very public with very strong support of his manager, at a time when the GM’s support might not have been enough.

Bottom line: The best teams don’t get rid of good people in bad times, after bad seasons. Even three of them in succession. But in Arizona, you don’t know where the front office ends and the dugout begins. Which means a lot of the blame critics heap on Lovullo needs to be equally distributed among others.

Lovullo earned his two-year contract, which puts him on the same timeline as general manager Mike Hazen. He is still young and energetic and might make a run at John McLeod, who served 14 years as Suns head coach, setting the bar of longevity for professional coaches/managers in the Valley.

And when the end finally comes for Lovullo, at least it won’t occur after one of his best performances in a decade.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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