SAN DIEGO -- The Diamondbacks are staring at a busy offseason, and the first major call might come quickly: whether Torey Lovullo is back for an 11th year as manager.
Lovullo’s future in Arizona is unresolved, and after a season-ending 9-4 loss to the Padres, he made clear that he has spent the stretch trying to stay locked in on the clubhouse instead of his own status. He and the organization have not yet had talks about another extension, even after he signed a three-year deal following the club’s run to the 2023 World Series.
"I probably compartmentalized it, pushed it aside, and just told myself to be present for these guys and be available," Lovullo said after the season-ending 9-4 loss to the Padres. "My status should be minimized inside of that clubhouse.
When it's time to get to it, it'll happen. But up until this point, I don't know where it's at, and I have some decisions to make.
I have some things to think about, as do the D-backs, and where it goes from here, I don't know."
Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said recently in a radio interview on 98.7 FM that the sides had put any discussion on hold until after the season. Hall also spoke highly of Lovullo, and general manager Mike Hazen has long been one of his strongest backers.
The numbers tell part of the story, but not all of it. Lovullo is 750-768 in Arizona, though that mark gets a different look if you remove the rough 2021 season, when the Diamondbacks went 52-110. Without that year, he would be 698-658.
Across nine full seasons, not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Arizona finished above .500 six times and was two games under last season.
Lovullo, who grew up in Southern California, has built a life in Arizona and sounded like someone who would prefer that not to change.
"I love Arizona, and the people and the fans are spectacular," Lovullo said. "The group that I work for is amazing.
I love being around them every single day, and I don't want that to change. And I want to win a world championship with this organization.
But I want to be wanted. I'll just leave it at that.
[My job status] is probably not the conversation to have right now. I need to think about a few things."
Asked directly whether he felt unwanted by the organization, Lovullo kept his answer measured.
"I've never felt unwanted, but there's some decisions that need to be made, and it's gotten this far, so I don't know what's going on," he said. "And once I figure that out, if it works in my favor, I do want to be wanted."
For all the uncertainty around the contract situation, Lovullo’s standing with players remains a major part of his case. His reputation for communication and relationship-building is widely respected, and Minor League players are often surprised when he reaches out by text to praise their performances. That kind of attention is rare from a big league manager.
Veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado backed that up after the loss.
"I think Torey is great," Arenado said. "I think he had some tough things he had to deal with this year, and I thought he did a great job with them.
You know, at the end of the day, it's always on the players, and I think us as players, we just didn't do a good enough job when we had a chance to take care of business. It's on us."
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