Diamondbacks Hire Torey Lovullo As Manager

Torey Lovullo, who worked with new Arizona general manager Mike Hazen in Boston and Cleveland and assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye in Boston, has been hired as manager of the Diamondbacks, the team announced Friday.

Lovullo, 51, had been bench coach for the Red Sox under John Farrell since Farrell was hired by Boston in October 2012 and filled in for Farrell when Farrell had chemotherapy to fight lymphoma in August 2015. Lovullo compiled a 28-20 record in that time and was sought after as a major league manager, but was given a two-year extension to forgo managerial jobs elsewhere and stay in Boston.

Once Hazen and Sawdaye were hired by the Diamondbacks, it seemed a fait accompli that Arizona would hire Lovullo, although Triple-A Reno manager Phil Nevin was also a finalist for the job, vacated when Chip Hale was fired last month.

“I’m excited to have Torey as our manager,” Hazen said in a statement. “We share the same goals and mindset about how to be a championship-caliber organization.”

Nevin will reportedly be hired as a coach by the Giants.

Lovullo also coached under Farrell with the Blue Jays before joining him in Boston, and the two worked together in Cleveland, which is where Lovullo’s connection to Hazen began. Lovullo managed in the Indians system from 2002-09, reaching Triple-A. Hazen began working with the Indians in 2001 before joining the Red Sox in 2006.

“I appreciate the opportunity to join the D-backs family,” Lovullo said in a statement. “I’m excited to get to work with the staff and players to help lead this organization back to title contention. I also thank the Boston Red Sox for the invaluable opportunities provided to me over the last four years.”

Lovullo appeared in 303 big league games with seven teams after making his big league debut in 1988 with the Tigers. He hit .224 with 15 homers in that time.

He was originally a fifth-round pick of the Tigers in 1987 out of UCLA.