Lovullo next in line for extension as D-backs rise

LOS ANGELES -- D-backs general manager Mike Hazen and his assistant GMs recently received contract extensions. It seems like manager Torey Lovullo might be next once Arizona’s postseason run concludes.

Hazen hired Lovullo not long after he took over in Arizona following the 2016 season. The pair have established an outstanding working relationship through the ups -- the 2017 playoff run and this year -- and the downs -- a 110-loss season in 2021.

Hazen extended Lovullo’s contract through 2024 in early June this year. At the time, it was done so that it would line up with Hazen’s, which also was set to expire at the end of the 2024 season.

Last week, the D-backs extended Hazen’s deal through 2028 with a club option for ’29.

Hazen indicated a new deal for Lovullo could follow this offseason.

“Torey and I had a conversation when we extended [his contract] for a year,” Hazen said. “I said, look, we got to get through the rest of the season. And I said if good things happen and we get to the playoffs and we get where we need to go, that he and I will have another conversation.

“I said ‘I promise you that I will sit down with you and we will talk through this again at some point.’”

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Lovullo has made no secret how much he and his family love living in Arizona, and he relishes his relationships with the baseball operations department.

“I think it's a statement by this organization about the things they recognize that Mike Hazen and his group do right every single day,” Lovullo said when Hazen’s extension was announced. “I believe in continuity. I believe in connection. And that tells me that even though we've had some really tough times here, that they believe in the process and trusted what was going on from the dugout level and slightly above to the front office.”

Lovullo’s team won a Wild Card slot in his first year at the helm and finished above .500 in both 2018 and ’19.

The D-backs finished out of the playoff hunt in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and things bottomed out for the organization in 2021. Throughout it all, the D-backs -- from Ken Kendrick and Derrick Hall at the ownership level to Hazen -- stood behind Lovullo, something he has not forgotten.

“We're extremely excited about our manager, his style, his philosophies, the relationships that he has,” Hall said when announcing Hazen’s extension. “Of course, he and our general manager are very close.”

With other teams in the news recently for having a disconnect between the front office and manager, the D-backs value the working relationship that Hazen and Lovullo have.

“As I see things through the course of my days,” Lovullo said, “especially now when there are some changes and you hear about relationships between front offices and managers, I can't even imagine that because I know how healthy and strong the relationships are from Ken all the way down through me. We're grateful for that.”

Lovullo’s greatest strength as a manager is his ability to build relationships with his players.

That starts when they are in the Minor Leagues, as he is known to text some of the organization’s prospects to compliment them on a good game or boost their confidence when they might be struggling.

D-backs right-hander Zac Gallen credited Lovullo with helping him grow as a player. When he joined Arizona at the Trade Deadline in 2019, he had appeared in just seven Major League games. Now he is the ace of the staff and a team leader.

“I think he saw the bigger picture and that was kind of laying the groundwork for later in my career and trying to instill some leadership qualities,” Gallen said. “And I think he lets guys be themselves. I think that's the biggest thing.

“He's not necessarily from the old school [where] things need to be done a certain way. If you're getting your job done and you're doing what you need to do, he's going to let you do what makes you feel comfortable. But if things get out of line, stuff like that, he’ll put a stop to it. But if you're performing and you're being respectful, other than that, be yourself, have fun. He tries to make the game easy on guys.”