Torey Lovullo, D-backs not packing it in following trade deadline moves
Sep 1, 2020, 3:32 PM | Updated: 4:15 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo gestures in the dugout during an exhibition baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, July 20, 2020, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The Arizona Diamondbacks were pegged as sellers for their moves at the MLB trade deadline.
But while the team is looking more at the long term product on the diamond, there’s still a season to finish.
Joining Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Tuesday, manager Torey Lovullo reiterated that while Monday’s moves may seem like they are waving the white flag on the season, the team is going to go out and compete day in and day out.
“When something like [Monday’s trade deadline moves] happen it’s an easy connection to us saying we’re giving up,” Lovullo said. “That’s isn’t the case. That’s not the case here and I’m making sure that I’m having conversations today that we’re all realigned with one another.
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“So until that little ‘e’ is next to our name in the standings we’re going to fight with everything we have. And the guys we have are going to give me their best effort and I know that.”
The D-backs ended up swinging four trades at the conclusion of the MLB trade deadline after starting the season 14-21. They first moved starting pitcher Robbie Ray to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The team followed it up by shipping outfielder Starling Marte to Miami Marlins before sending reliever Andrew Chafin to the Chicago Cubs. Arizona’s final move of the day was arguably its biggest, trading closer Archie Bradley to the Cincinnati Reds.
Shortstop Nick Ahmed and outfielder Kole Calhoun echoed Lovullo’s sentiment before Tuesday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, saying they weren’t going to lay down or pack it in.
“We trust what [D-backs GM] Mike [Hazen] and his team are doing, we understand that there’s a business side of the game,” Ahmed told reporters Tuesday. “They have to think about the future of the organization, we get that as players but it doesn’t take away from the fact that we want to compete and win and go out and do our job right now.
“As players we can’t look forward to the next year or after. All we can take care of is this moment right now.”
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