Good morning — The Arizona Diamondbacks’ season may have come to a brutal end in San Diego, but there’s still reason to talk about them.

Regardless of what side you may fall on with regard to this issue, it’s time to talk Torey Lovullo.

— Alex D’Agostino, PHNX WKLY Editor

Torey Lovullo retained as Diamondbacks manager

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Well…

This could be the news you’ve been waiting for or the news you’ve been dreading.

On Thursday, the Diamondbacks announced that manager Torey Lovullo would be returning beyond the 2026 season, signing him to a two-year contract that runs through 2028. Lovullo’s and GM Mike Hazen’s contracts will now expire simultaneously.

Lovullo has been at the helm of the Diamondbacks since 2017 — 10 major league seasons. He has a 750-768 overall record.

Six of his seasons have resulted in winning records, including 2026’s 86-76. Only two of those seasons have resulted in playoff berths, most notably a National League pennant and a World Series appearance in 2023.

The players like Lovullo, a lot. He and Hazen have a strong relationship. If he were to have departed, he would have had job offers elsewhere. Like it or not, that’s the truth.

"The decision to bring [Lovullo] back was in consultation with [Team President and CEO Derrick Hall] and [Owner Ken Kendrick] that Torey and the coaches did a really good job of keeping this team together through what was a fairly tumultuous season on a number of different fronts,” Hazen said.

"The team played hard, had the most comeback wins in baseball. These are the characteristics of playing a brand of baseball that I appreciate and respect, and I think that leads to wins. It led to a decent amount of wins. It didn't lead to enough wins.”

However, MLB is a results-based business. It would have made sense if the Diamondbacks opted to go in a different direction. With a potential lockout looming in 2027, however, continuity could work in Arizona’s favor.

My take: This has the potential to be a great move. Lovullo is a much better manager than some give him credit for, and that’s not a statement I’m typing because I’m “afraid of losing my credential,” or something like that.

Some concerns surrounding Lovullo are valid. He, like any other manager, makes mistakes. At the same time, managers aren’t evaluated by front offices or owners by how well their pitching moves or lineups work out.

Do players want to play hard for their skipper? Does the team look connected from a cultural standpoint? These represent the type of question that carries more weight in these conversations.

The Diamondbacks play hard. They’ve looked connected. They’ve been in contention through injury, adversity and talent-thin rosters, year in and year at.

And for that, I’m on board.

Now, let’s see what else is going on in Arizona sports this week:

The Cardinals put forward a strong second half against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but couldn’t complete a comeback in a 36-30 loss. They’ll head to the Big Apple to take on the New York Giants this weekend.
The Sun Devils, after a bye week, will take on Baylor at home on Saturday. The Wildcats beat Washington State 34-24 and will get Cincinnati at home to begin conference play.
The Suns picked up the options of both Ryan Dunn and Khama Maluach. They also officially announced the free agent signings of Duop Reath, Chase Kennedy and Phillip Wheeler official.
Phoenix Rising fell 3-0 to Oakland Roots SC on Saturday. They are 8-9-9 and drop to 11th in the standings.