Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo returns to team on 2-year deal, AP source says

PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks are bringing back manager Torey Lovullo on a two-year contract, a person with direct knowledge of the deal said Thursday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the new deal hasn't been announced. The Arizona Republic first reported Lovullo’s new deal.

The 61-year-old's future with the club was in flux after the D-backs missed the playoffs for a third straight year . Arizona was eliminated from postseason contention on the final day of the regular season for the second time in three seasons when the Phillies beat the Rays 7-4 on Sunday.

The D-backs finished with an 86-76 record — the best in MLB for a team that didn’t qualify for October baseball.

Lovullo is the winningest manager in Diamondbacks history, going 750-768 during a full decade in charge, with the highlight being a surprise World Series appearance in 2023. He is the third-longest tenured manager in the big leagues behind Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash and Los Angeles Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts.

The affable Lovullo is a popular presence in the organization. He played eight seasons in the big leagues for seven teams in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the bench coach for the Boston Red Sox when they won the World Series in 2013 and played college baseball at UCLA.

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