Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo faces an uncertain future with the organization after the club finished an 86-76 season by missing the National League playoffs on the final day of the regular season. Operating on a one-year contract following a decade at the helm, the franchise’s winningest manager stated he wants to return but needs reassurance from the front office, remarking that he ultimately wants to feel wanted.
Contract Uncertainty and Post-Season Reflection
The Diamondbacks wrapped up their campaign at Petco Park following two weekend losses to the San Diego Padres. Those defeats left Arizona just outside the National League’s final wild-card spot, which went instead to the Philadelphia Phillies. Speaking to reporters in the visitors’ clubhouse, Lovullo addressed his expiring deal and his outlook after missing the postseason for the eighth time in nine years.
“I want to win a world championship with this organization, but I want to be wanted,” Lovullo said Sunday. Asked if he would entertain another short-term agreement, the manager admitted he did not know how he would approach negotiations, emphasizing that he needed time to process the end of the year.
Lovullo holds a 750-768 record across ten seasons in Arizona. He guided the team to a 93-win season and a division series appearance as a rookie manager in 2017, earning National League Manager of the Year honors, and later steered the club to the NL pennant and the World Series in 2023.
An Agonizing Final Day in San Diego
Arizona’s path to the postseason required a victory against San Diego paired with a loss by Philadelphia. Instead, as the Diamondbacks prepared for their game at Petco Park, the stadium scoreboard flashed early updates showing the Phillies comfortably ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays on their way to a 4-0 start. The Philadelphia victory was official moments before the Diamondbacks dropped their final game to the Padres.
“I kept glancing at it to see, and it was painful,” Lovullo said of watching the out-of-town scoreboard. “It was agonizing to watch — one out, two outs, and then the board flashed ‘Final.’ So I’ll never forget that feeling. … It’ll be tough to recover.”
During a late-inning pitching change, Lovullo walked out to the mound to comfort his infielders with words and embraces, acknowledging the collective effort of a roster that battled injuries and off-field distractions throughout the summer.
Front Office Ties and Roster Realities
Lovullo’s tenure in Arizona remains closely linked with general manager Mike Hazen, whom Lovullo joined four weeks after Hazen took charge of the front office. While Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall recently credited Lovullo with one of his finest managerial performances amid significant injuries and star absences—including Ketel Marte—the team continues to contend in a formidable division.
The NL West features the dominant Los Angeles Dodgers, who have claimed 13 of the last 14 division titles, alongside a surging San Diego Padres squad that has reached the postseason in five of the past seven years. Despite those hurdles, the Diamondbacks have repeatedly hovered near the postseason cutoff without securing a wild-card berth consistently.
Reflecting on his standing as the offseason begins, Lovullo noted that he intentionally kept his contract status out of the daily team environment.
“I probably compartmentalize it, push it aside, and just told myself to be present for these guys and be available,” Lovullo said. “My status should be minimized inside of that clubhouse. When it’s time to get to it, it’ll happen. But to this point, I don’t know where it’s at.”
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