Torey Lovullo is managing for his job, and everyone in baseball can see it. USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale dropped the hammer in his weekend column: the Diamondbacks' manager, barring a dramatic change, likely must make the playoffs to keep his job. He's in the final year of his contract, there have been no talks about an extension, and the franchise that spent this winter like a big-market club is running out of patience. With 37 games left and Arizona sitting one game out of the final National League wild-card spot, the most tenured manager in D-backs history is suddenly the most vulnerable man in the dugout.
The Report That Changed the Conversation
Nightengale's column landed with real weight because it didn't come out of nowhere. Lovullo has been in the final year of his deal all season, and the front office has stayed conspicuously quiet about his future. "He was saved once before by GM Mike Hazen, who is close friends with Lovullo," Nightengale wrote, "but Hazen may be unable to stop a firing this time if the D-backs miss the playoffs for the eighth time in the past nine years with a franchise-high payroll."
That last part is the kicker. This isn't the mid-market Arizona team of the late 2010s. Owner Ken Kendrick authorized a franchise-record payroll, the roster is loaded with stars, and the organization made the World Series as recently as 2023. Missing the playoffs in back-to-back years after that run — with this payroll — is a fireable offense in most front offices. The friendship between Hazen and Lovullo has shielded the manager before, most notably after the 110-loss disaster of 2021. But even a close friend can't protect you from ownership math.
Where the D-backs Actually Stand
Here's the thing: Arizona is not playing like a team that needs a manager change. At 66-59 entering play Monday, the D-backs were one game out of the third wild-card spot in a brutally crowded NL race. They've been competitive all season despite a rotation that has overachieved and an offense that has gone through stretches of missing its two best hitters. The schedule down the stretch is manageable, and the team has the talent to run off a hot month.
But the margins are thin, and the noise is getting louder. The club is coming off an ugly 11-1 loss to the Red Sox at Fenway, and the Ketel Marte situation — the star no-showing at the ballpark, landing on the restricted list, and flying home for a knee MRI — has turned the final stretch into a daily drama. A manager can't control a star's travel plans, but he's the one who answers for the chaos in the clubhouse. Every October-type game from here on out carries a double meaning: win, and you take a step toward October; lose, and you take a step toward a new manager in 2027.
The Case for Keeping Him
Lovullo is not going quietly, and he made that clear in an exclusive interview with Forbes earlier this month. "I want to come back here. I want to finish the rest of my career in this uniform and win world championships here," he said. "I want to connect with the city and call ourselves world champions. I'd be honored to be the D-backs manager for the next 10 years."
He has the résumé to back up the ask. Lovullo is the winningest manager in Diamondbacks history — his 730-751 record across 10 seasons is the franchise standard — and he's one of only two managers to take Arizona to the World Series. He survived the 2021 rebuild, rebuilt the culture, and delivered a pennant in 2023. Even rival managers vouch for him: Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts called Lovullo "special" and a "no-brainer" to re-sign, citing his character and body of work.
What the Numbers Say for Bettors
For bettors, the manager situation is a real variable in how the market prices Arizona down the stretch. The D-backs opened as +130 underdogs at Fenway on Tuesday — a price that says the market still respects the roster even after the Marte mess. But watch how the odds move if Arizona stumbles this week. Managerial uncertainty doesn't show up in a box score, but it shows up in how a team plays close games in September, and it absolutely shows up in live betting when a shaky bullpen decision costs a lead.
The smarter play might be on the D-backs' regular-season win total and playoff odds rather than individual games. A team fighting for its manager's job typically plays with urgency in August — that's a positive. But if they slip 3-4 games back, the front office could theoretically make a change and the buy-in problem gets real. Arizona's path is clear: roughly 17 home games left at Chase Field, a softish NL West schedule, and a wild-card race that will likely come down to the final weekend. Every game counts double now.
The Bottom Line
Both things are true here. Lovullo has earned the right to finish what he started in Phoenix, and his players clearly still play for him. But this is a results business, the payroll is a franchise record, and the last wild-card spot is right there for the taking. Make the playoffs, and the D-backs' manager gets his extension and probably his 10 more years. Miss them, and Hazen may not be able to save his friend a second time. The next 37 games aren't just Arizona's season — they're Torey Lovullo's career in one tidy, high-leverage package.
Rebecca Hayes
Rebecca Hayes writes sports features, previews, and event coverage with a focus on the people, trends, and storylines that fans care about.