PHOENIX – Seven days and 23 MLB playoff games involving other teams have passed since the Arizona Diamondbacks and manager Torey Lovullo agreed to a two-year contract extension, ending speculation about his future with the club that lingered throughout the season.
The opinions, however, haven’t subsided. Did the Diamondbacks make the right move? Should Lovullo have preemptively decided to move on from the franchise even though his heart remains in the Valley, his full-time home for more than a decade?
Lovullo has been at Arizona’s helm for 10 seasons, posting a 750-768 (.494) record and leading the Diamondbacks to postseason appearances in 2017 and 2023. The team advanced to the World Series in 2023, losing to the Texas Rangers in five games.
The Diamondbacks finished the 2026 season with an 86-76 record, good for third in the National League West but two games out of a playoff spot. It was another near miss, as the team was not eliminated from the postseason until the very last day, marking the third-consecutive season the Diamondbacks missed the postseason.
There were rumors of Lovullo leaving for an open managerial position out of Arizona. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Seattle Mariners had Lovullo as their leading candidate to replace recently fired manager Dan Wilson.
Even Lovullo was uncertain. In February, he spoke with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro about the pressure heading into the 2026 season.
“We haven’t made the playoffs in two years and there was talk of me being dismissed, and I wasn’t. I kind of feel like I deserve to be in the position I’m in – and I have a lot to prove this year,” Lovullo said. “If I worry about the things I can’t control, worry about the pressures that are externally on me, I’m wasting my time and I’m not going to be present for the players.”
Players spent much of the final weeks in the regular season being asked about Lovullo’s future with the team. In the days before Lovullo signed the extension, Cronkite News asked several players about their perspectives, and many credited Lovullo.
“He’s been a great manager,” pitcher Corbin Burnes said. “He’s in here pulling for us every day and wants us to play hard and we want to play hard for him. I don’t know what’s going to happen but hopefully he’s back next season.”
Pitcher Brandyn Garcia added, “That means he’s doing something right. If you’re anywhere for 10 years that’s always a good sign. I think he’s got plenty more to come here. I would really love to see him come back.”
One of the most common criticisms of Lovullo is his management of the pitching staff, especially the bullpen. The Diamondbacks have experienced recurring issues with pitching, especially in recent years. They had a 4.68 ERA in 2024 and a 4.49 ERA in 2025. In 2026, it improved to 4.18, but it was still in MLB’s bottom half. Some analysts don’t believe that was Lovullo’s fault.
Jim McLennan of AZ SnakePit touched on the pitching situation in September 2025. That year, the team’s relief staff posted a 4.82 ERA, which ranked 27th in the league in bullpen ERA. McLennan argued that Lovullo was doing the best he could.
“My hypothesis is that, given the cards he was dealt, Torey has played them as well as you would expect,” McLennan said. “Again, make no mistake: the bullpen is, once again, a problem for the Diamondbacks. But I am more inclined to put that on (general manager) Mike Hazen – while this year, acknowledging the significant role injury has played in making things more difficult.”
The bullpen did improve in 2026, with the Diamondbacks going 66-0 in games they led after eight innings late into September. It was aided by the rise of young relievers such as Juan Morillo and Brandyn Garcia, along with the return of fire thrower Justin Martinez. McLennan touched on that with a report roughly a year after his initial assessment was posted.
“I’d call this testament to a great job done by Torey Lovullo, in conjunction with the information provided to him by the front office, to avoid overtaxing any one arm,” McLennan said. “There will be significant work for Hazen this winter, with three of those core four, (Kevin) Ginkel, (Jonathan) Loaisiga and (Taylor) Clarke, becoming free agents. But in Morillo, Garcia and Justin Martinez, the foundations are there for the longer term.”
In an article from Sports Illustrated’s Jack Sommers, Hazen gave credit to Lovullo’s management of the bullpen, saying “I think he’s become more objective in his decision making. I thought this was the best bullpen management year he’s ever had. Every one of our bullpen guys stayed healthy and dominated. That’s a credit to the manager and how he’s pulling the strings and managing workloads and pushing guys up to and including in the last two weeks of the season.”
Speaking of Hazen, payroll is a significant part of building a roster. According to Spotrac, the Diamondbacks ranked in MLB’s upper half in payroll the past three years. In 2026, Arizona spent $192,670,027 in payroll, which ranked 12th in MLB.
Arizona’s biggest contract belongs to Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million deal in December 2024. Burnes only made 11 starts in 2025 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of that year. He returned in September but only made three starts before he was sidelined again with right shoulder inflammation. That was on a list of many injuries and results that didn’t go the Diamondbacks’ way.
It also doesn’t help that Arizona is in a division of high spenders. According to Spotrac, the Los Angeles Dodgers ranked second in payroll at $339,319,244, with the San Diego Padres ranking ninth at $226,252,714. Competing for a postseason spot is already hard, but it’s even more difficult in the stacked NL West.
In an article from Arizona Sports’ Alex Weiner, Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall applauded Lovullo for his efforts this season, while noting an obstacle he faced.
“I think this may have been one of, if not his best years that he’s managed with all the problems that he had, with all the adversity he overcame, with all the injuries, all the young players,” Hall said. “I don’t think we as an organization did our best job building a roster this year.”
There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the 2027 MLB season due to stalled negotiations over the collective bargaining agreement. A potential lockout is looming. What is certain is that Lovullo is going to remain in the Valley, where he will again have to prove his worth over the next two years.
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