Torey Lovullo

Diamondbacks, Rockies Close To Hiring Managers

By Connor Byrne | November 3, 2016 at 9:08am CDT

9:08am: The D-backs are choosing between Lovullo and their Triple-A manager, Phil Nevin, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). They and the Rockies are likely to hire managers within the next 24 to 48 hours, per Nightengale. Wakamatsu, Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach, Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez and Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. are among several candidates who have come up as possible successors to Walt Weiss in Colorado.

7:52am: The Diamondbacks have already taken executives Mike Hazen (general manager) and Amiel Sawdaye (senior vice president/assistant GM) from the Red Sox in recent weeks. Next to emigrate from Boston to Arizona could be Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, who interviewed for the Diamondbacks’ vacant managerial position Sunday, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald.

The 51-year-old Lovullo has been regarded as the favorite for the Arizona job since Hazen took over the club’s baseball operations Oct. 16. Lovullo’s experience as a manager includes several minor league stints and interim work with the Red Sox in 2015, when skipper John Farrell was undergoing treatment for lymphoma. If Lovullo does join the Diamondbacks, he won’t be able to pilfer anyone from Farrell’s coaching staff to join him in Arizona, according to Drellich.

Lovullo is the third known managerial candidate who either has interviewed or will meet with the D-backs, joining Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu and broadcaster/former major league player Alex Cora. There could be more names, too, as Hazen has expressed a desire to interview five to seven candidates.

Latest On Diamondbacks’ Managerial Search, Front Office Changes

By charliewilmoth | October 30, 2016 at 10:33pm CDT

Here’s the latest on the Diamondbacks’ hunt for a new manager, via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic:

It’s possible the D’backs have already interviewed most of their candidates, Piecoro writes. Those include Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo (who is perceived to be the favorite), broadcaster and former big-leaguer Alex Cora, Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu and Triple-A manager Phil Nevin, whose candidacies have been noted elsewhere.
Piecoro also adds a new name: that of Cardinals bench coach David Bell. Before taking his current position, Bell had previously served as an assistant hitting coach with the Cardinals, a third base coach with the Cubs and a minor-league manager with the Reds.
New Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen came from the Red Sox and has thus been strongly connected to Lovullo, with whom he had also previously worked in the Indians system. Hazen says that dynamic has had no impact on the interview process, however. “People can read or interpret how they want to,” says Hazen. “I don’t think any of that is fair, but it hasn’t been something that has been a major factor. It’s our responsibility to hire the best manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. That’s the only way I’m looking at it.”
Piecoro confirms that pro scouting director Mike Russell has left the organization to take a job with the Tigers, for whom he worked from 2012 through 2014. Robert Murray of Today’s Knuckleball had previously reported Russell’s departure.
Of Ed Lewis, the former veterinarian who until recently headed the Diamondbacks analytics department, Hazen says, “I feel like there are just going to be some avenues that we want to explore on that side of the game that maybe bringing in people who are a little more specialized in certain things and maybe rebuild the department in a different way.” Lewis recently left the organization in the wake of recent changes to its front office.

Heyman On Ramos, Duda, Colon, Lovullo, Fowler, Cubs

By Mark Polishuk | October 29, 2016 at 9:29am CDT

Jon Heyman covers World Series news, a profile of Andrew Miller’s career and development into a relief ace and some hot stove items in his latest two columns for FanRag Sports…

Prior to tearing his ACL, Wilson Ramos was aiming at a $100MM contract in free agency. It’s an eye-popping number, as Joe Mauer ($184MM from the Twins) and Buster Posey ($167MM) are the only catchers to crack the nine-figure threshold. Both of those deals were extensions rather than free agent contracts, and both Mauer and Posey had more consistent track records than Ramos. It’s quite common for a player and his representatives to aim high with an initial asking price, of course, especially when that player is the top free agent at his position. Injury notwithstanding, Ramos is still expected to receive significant interest, to the point that he is still looking for four or five years on the open market.
The Mets will indeed tender a contract to first baseman Lucas Duda. MLBTR projects Duda to earn $6.7MM in arbitration this winter, following a rough year that saw Duda spend much of the season on the DL due to a stress fracture in his lower back. He hit just .229/.302/.412 with seven homers over 172 PA in 2016, though given the first baseman’s strong production in previous seasons, the Mets are surely counting on a bounce-back next year when Duda is healthy.
“Nothing’s close” on a reunion between the Mets and Bartolo Colon, though the team has interest in bringing the veteran back and “no one would be surprised” if the two sides work out another contract.
“It would be an upset” if the Diamondbacks hire anyone other than Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo as their new manager, Heyman writes. Lovullo has been widely connected to the Arizona job from virtually the moment former Boston GM Mike Hazen took over as the D’Backs’ new general manager. Hazen does plan to interview between 5-7 candidates as part of a managerial search, and as of last Tuesday, the D’Backs hadn’t yet asked the Sox for permission to speak with Lovullo.
One executive suggests Dexter Fowler should accept the Cubs’ qualifying offer, though Heyman believes the center fielder can top the one-year, $17.2MM offer in free agency. I agree with Heyman; while the QO limited Fowler’s market last winter, his outstanding season for the NL champions should easily net him a nice multi-year deal this offseason.
Assuming Fowler leaves, Heyman notes that the Cubs face an “interesting” outfield situation with Kyle Schwarber, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward all best suited to playing the corners. It should be noted that Chicago faced a similar scenario last winter prior to Fowler’s unexpected return, as the Cubs had Schwarber and Jorge Soler lined up for the corner outfield spots and Heyward was going to play center. Heyward has posted excellent defensive metrics over his brief (404 innings) time as a center fielder during his career, though since Heyward is arguably the best defensive right fielder in the game, any lessening of his value could be a problem given how badly Heyward fell off at the plate this year. The versatile Zobrist is now locked into outfield duty with Javier Baez’s emergence at second while Soler and Albert Almora are also in the outfield mix, so the Cubs are fully stocked with outfield options.
The Blue Jays have parted ways with scout Ed Lynch. Best known as the Cubs’ GM from 1994 to 2000, Lynch had been working as a scout for the Jays since 2010.

Dombrowski Prefers To Fill Red Sox GM Vacancy Internally

By Steve Adams | October 17, 2016 at 11:30am CDT

In a conference call with reporters, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said today that his preference is to hire a general manager that is already within the organization as opposed to conducting a search of external candidates (via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald). The Red Sox, of course, are in the market for a new GM after Mike Hazen was hired as the executive vice president/general manager of the Diamondbacks over the weekend.

Whether the Red Sox remain internal or ultimately interview outside candidates to fill the void left by Hazen’s departure, the fact remains that Dombrowski will have final say when it comes to baseball operations decision-making. Boston ownership afforded him that autonomy when hiring Dombrowski as the team’s president of baseball operations last August, and while the title of general manager undoubtedly comes with plenty of allure for both internal candidates and external candidates with lower-ranking titles, there should be no confusion about the hierarchy within the Boston front office.

Indeed, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes, Hazen’s departure is a reminder that the Red Sox are now Dombrowski’s operation. That reality makes it less critical that the Sox find someone from within than it was a year ago when Dombrowski didn’t know the organization as well, but Dombrowski called an internal hire an “ideal” setting. The Sox will conduct formal interviews with internal candidates, but as MacPherson notes, Dombrowski said the benefit of sticking internal is that those candidates have, in some ways, been interviewing for this position since the day Dombrowski was hired.

Dombrowski’s longtime friend and longtime colleague Frank Wren, who currently holds the title of senior vice president of baseball operations, has been reported to be a “leading candidate” for Hazen’s vacated post. Other internal candidates include senior vice president of personnel Allard Baird, senior vice president/assistant general manager Brian O’Halloran, pro scouting director Gus Quattlebaum, vice president of international/amateur scouting Amiel Sawdaye and vice president of international scouting Eddie Romero, as the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier wrote yesterday.

It also remains possible that Hazen will bring one or more of his Boston colleagues to the D-backs front office to work alongside him in a greater role, although Hazen, according to Dombrowski, will be limited in the number of people he is able to enlist. Additionally, anyone who leaves the Sox to join the D-backs will have to be the recipient of a “direct promotion,” Mastrodonato writes, so there won’t be any lateral movement between the two organizations. Certainly it seems plausible, if not likely, that Hazen will pluck a lieutenant or two to join the ranks in Arizona, but Dombrowski suggested that the Boston front office will not lose a large number of resources as a result of Hazen’s hire.

One person the organization could potentially stand to lose isn’t in the front office at all, though. Bench coach Torey Lovullo has already been frequently speculated upon as a managerial candidate in Arizona, and Dombrowski said he’ll be surprised if the D-backs don’t interview Lovullo (via Mastrodonato). He went on to add that while the Sox think highly of Lovullo, Hazen does as well. “We won’t stand in his way,” Dombrowski said of Lovullo, referencing the possibility of the D-backs offering him their managerial vacancy.

There’s no set timeline for the Red Sox to determine a new general manager, though Dombrowski did state that he’d like to find a replacement as quickly as possible. The team does host its organizational meeting to prep for the offseason next week, so it stands to reason that Dombrowski would want to have a new executive in place sooner rather than later. Certainly conducting an outside search and determining a new hire with ownership in that time would be a lofty goal. That, paired with Dombrowski’s stated preference, seems to strongly indicate that Hazen’s successor is already within the organization.

Diamondbacks Hire Mike Hazen As Executive VP, General Manager

By Mark Polishuk | October 16, 2016 at 1:10pm CDT

The Diamondbacks have announced the hiring of Mike Hazen as the team’s new general manager and executive vice president. Hazen’s contract with the club is for at least four years, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). He will be officially introduced at a press conference tomorrow at Chase Field.

“Mike’s background is the perfect balance of scouting, player development and analytics, which will all play an important role going forward,” D’Backs president and CEO Derrick Hall said in a statement released by the club. “He’s a natural leader, who we feel fortunate to have been able to hire, and we welcome him and his family to Arizona.”

Hazen has spent just over one full year as the Red Sox general manager, serving as the point man under Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Hazen’s new job will put him in charge of Arizona’s baseball ops, as according to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (Twitter link), Hazen will report directly to Hall. Tony La Russa, formerly the Diamondbacks’ chief baseball officer, is still with the organization and will remain as an advisor, Gilbert reports.

Prior to becoming Boston’s GM, Hazen had worked with the Red Sox since 2006, first as the team’s director of player development and then as the assistant GM under Ben Cherington. Prior to joining the Sox, Hazen worked for five seasons in the Indians’ scouting and player development departments.

As noted by Hall, Hazen brings a wide range of executive, scouting, development and even on-the-field (he played two seasons in the Padres’ system in 1998-99) experience. At just 40 years of age, Hazen brings a decidedly new perspective to the D’Backs in the wake of the decidedly old-school methods of La Russa and former general manager Dave Stewart.

Counting the interim tenures of Bob Gebhard and Jerry Dipoto, Hazen will be the Diamondbacks’ seventh general manager since 2005. This revolving door and rumors of ownership interference with front office moves led some executives to wonder if Arizona would have trouble landing top-caliber talent to fill the position. Alex Anthopoulos and Chaim Bloom, VPs of baseball operations with the Dodgers and Rays respectively, both declined interviews. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that Anthopoulos and Jason McLeod, Cubs VP of player development and amateur scouting both had informal talks with the D’Backs, though not actual interviews.

That being said, the D’Backs ended up landing a highly-regarded baseball mind in Hazen, and also interviewed several other notable candidates during their hiring process. Other contenders for the job included incumbent D’Backs assistant GM Bryan Minniti, D’Backs farm director Mike Bell, former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti, Royals’ assistant GM J.J. Piccolo, MLB executives Kim Ng and Peter Woodfork and Brewers VP of scouting Ray Montgomery.

Hazen takes over an organization that finished a very disappointing 69-93 in 2016, its eighth non-winning season in the last nine years. A.J. Pollock’s near season-long stint on the DL, Zack Greinke’s down year and Shelby Miller’s disastrous season were the big headline issues, not to mention an overall lack of production from the rotation and bullpen. While the Major League roster certainly still has some impressive players on hand, Hazen’s big-picture challenge will be rebuilding a farm system thinned out by ill-advised trades (i.e. the Miller deal) and a lack of international talent. Arizona was limited to signings of $300K or less for the last two international signing periods following their pool-breaking signing of Yoan Lopez in January 2015, though they’ll be able to spend freely on international players come this July 2, barring any changes to the international spending system in the new CBA.

The first order of business for Hazen will be to hire a new manager to replace Chip Hale, and a familiar Boston name could be a top contender. Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo is a “strong candidate” to take the Arizona job, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter links), though the D’Backs also have an impressive internal candidate in Triple-A manager Phil Nevin.

Latest On Rockies’ Managerial Search

By Jeff Todd | October 13, 2016 at 1:07pm CDT

The Rockies are officially looking to fill their open managerial position after parting ways with skipper Walt Weiss. While the organization is holding its cards close to the vest, here’s the latest reporting on that effort:

Former Brewers skipper Ron Roenicke is also interested in the position, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Since losing his post with Milwaukee, Roenicke has served as the third base coach for the Dodgers and then the Angels.

Earlier Updates

Colorado will leave a few staff positions open for a new dugout head after announcing several changes to the club’s coaching staff yesterday (via MLB.com’s Thomas Harding). Pitching coach Steve Foster, pen coach Darren Holmes, and third base coach Stu Cole will return. But the team will be hiring elsewhere after cutting ties with bench coach Tom Runnells, hitting coach Blake Doyle, catching and defensive positioning coach Rene Lachemann, and baserunning, outfield, and first base coach Eric Young.
Former Padres manager Bud Black says he’s interested in Colorado’s job after missing out on the Braves’ opening, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports. Black, who has long been considered one of the top managerial free agents and nearly joined the Nationals last year, has served most recently as an adviser in the Angels’ front office. It’s not yet clear whether Black is seen as an option from within the Rockies’ organization, but he has drawn at least some consideration in virtually every managerial search since he left San Diego.
Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo has long been talked about as a possible managerial candidate, and he once again fits that profile with John Farrell set to remain in command of the team in 2017. As of yet, no rival organizations have asked Boston for permission to speak with Lovullo, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. But it seems reasonable to expect at least one team to take a look. The Rockies may not yet have sought to chat with Lovullo, but Bradford cites sources who indicate that the club has “been asking around about” him. (The Diamondbacks, too, are in need of a skipper but must first sort out its front office.)
We’ve already heard a few hints of other possibilities. GM Jeff Bridich has acknowledged that Triple-A skipper Glenallen Hill is under consideration. The long-time big leaguer is held in high regard by the Colorado organization, per Bridich, who’ll be hiring his first manager after inheriting Weiss when he was promoted. Braves first base coach Eddie Perez has also drawn interest from the Rox, per a report.

Cafardo’s Latest: Fernandez, BoSox, Yanks, Jays, Dodgers, Cubs

By Connor Byrne | September 17, 2016 at 10:04pm CDT

The Marlins and agent Scott Boras appear unlikely to negotiate an extension for ace Jose Fernandez early in the offseason, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who reports the team could shop the right-hander as a result. Several of the majors’ high-payroll clubs, including the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees and Cubs, would have interest in acquiring and extending Fernandez, per Cafardo. The 24-year-old is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2018 campaign and has thrown a career-high 174 1/3 innings this season. Along the way, Fernandez has posted dazzling numbers – 2.99 ERA, 12.44 K/9, 2.84 BB/9 – which has been the norm since he debuted in 2013.

AL Notes: Jays, Astros, Red Sox, Yanks

By Connor Byrne | April 23, 2016 at 1:27pm CDT

In the wake of the 80-game PED suspension handed to Blue Jays first baseman/designated hitter Chris Colabello on Friday, teammate Kevin Pillar had some choice words for Major League Baseball (Twitter link via Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet Magazine). “This is a guy that got caught up in a flawed system,” the outfielder said of Colabello. “He fell victim to a technicality in the system. And I think that the drug testing policy and Major League Baseball are going to have some soul searching to do and they’re going to have to figure it out.” Pillar didn’t elaborate on the “technicality” that he believes victimized Colabello. The 32-year-old tested positive in March for the banned substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, an anabolic steroid that’s designed to increase the user’s speed and strength. Colabello did pass four drug tests last year, though, tweets John Lott of VICE Sports.

More from Toronto and a couple other American League cities:

The Blue Jays aren’t yet considering going outside the organization to replace Colabello, according to FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (Twitter link). Justin Smoak is first in line to pick up the slack, per Rosenthal, who points out that the team also has Matt Dominguez in Triple-A Buffalo. Rosenthal didn’t mention Jesus Montero, who’s with Dominguez in Buffalo. The former elite prospect has recorded a respectable .292/.341/.429 line in in 315 career plate appearances against left-handed pitchers.
Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said Friday that Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo and Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez (then the Rays’ bench coach) were the main runners-up to A.J. Hinch in Houston’s 2014 managerial search, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. “I think he’s going to be a major league manager in the future, and a good one,” Luhnow said of Lovullo. “He has a great balance of instincts and wisdom from all of his coaching experience, and understanding and appreciation for all of the other elements that are involved.” Lovullo garnered some major league managerial experience last season when he filled in for John Farrell, who was undergoing treatment for lymphoma, and led the Red Sox to a 28-21 record. Hinch, meanwhile, helped the Astros to a playoff berth and finished second in the AL manager of the year voting. This year isn’t going nearly as well so far, however, as the Astros have gone a surprisingly poor 5-12.
Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks will undergo an MRI after leaving the team’s win Friday with a jammed non-throwing (left) shoulder, reports Ryan Hatch of NJ Advance Media. “We told him: see how you feel when you wake up,” said manager Joe Girardi. “If you’re really sore, we’re going to send you for an MRI. And that’s what happened.” Hicks, whom the Yankees acquired from the Twins during the offseason, has appeared in 14 of 15 games this year and totaled just two singles and two walks in 24 plate appearances.

Red Sox Notes: Dombrowski, Farrell, Lovullo, Baird

By charliewilmoth | October 4, 2015 at 10:47pm CDT

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski’s career in the game began with an independent study project in college, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes. Dombrowski’s project was about general managers in baseball, and he sent big-league GMs questionnaires, receiving replies from around half. That led to a meeting with then-White Sox GM Roland Hemond, who later hired Dombrowski. After several years with the White Sox, Dombrowski headed from Chicago to Montreal, where he ultimately became general manager at the young age of 31. Here’s more out of Boston.

As the Sox announced this morning, John Farrell will return to his post as manager of the Red Sox in 2016. Torey Lovullo, who managed the Red Sox to a 28-20 record while Farrell went through chemotherapy, will also return as bench coach and will not pursue other managerial possibilities. Dombrowski says (via Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe on Twitter) that Lovullo’s compensation will be above average for a bench coach. Via Alex Speier of the Globe (Twitter links), Farrell’s next three to six months could be difficult as he recovers. By retaining Lovullo, the Red Sox have given themselves a backup plan for Farrell while also limiting his stress as he gets healthy.
Dombrowski will keep vice president of player personnel Allard Baird, a holdover from Ben Cherington’s staff, on board, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes. One of the former Royals general manager’s key duties with the Red Sox has been helping with international signings. Baird joins Farrell, Mike Hazen, pro scouting director Gus Quattlebaum, and director of amateur scouting Jared Banner, all of whom Dombrowski has elected to retain.
Of course, many of the players will be back too, and Nick Cafardo of the Globe writes that one key to the Sox’ 2016 season will be getting better performances from disappointing, highly paid players like Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Rick Porcello and perhaps Allen Craig and Rusney Castillo. For Ramirez and Sandoval, that will begin with maintaining appropriate body weights. “You can’t discard somebody who’s making a guaranteed contact that’s worth a lot of money, so you have to be more patient and let them play,” says Lovullo.

John Farrell To Return As Red Sox Manager In 2016

By Zachary Links | October 4, 2015 at 11:00am CDT

The Red Sox announced that John Farrell will be back as manager in 2016. Torey Lovullo, meanwhile, will return as bench coach for 2016.

Lovullo has inked a two-year contract extension with the club taking him through the 2017 season. Surprisingly, Lovullo has “waived the right to pursue any major league managerial openings in the 2015/16 offseason” as per the terms of his deal. Lovullo has long been considered a managerial candidate in the majors and many expected him to be a hot candidate once again this winter.

The good news within the press release is that Farrell has completed chemotherapy treatments in Boston. Ostensibly, the announcement that he will return to managing if given a clean bill of health is another positive sign for his recovery. The 53-year-old Farrell has served as the team’s manager dating back to 2013 — a season that saw the former Red Sox pitching coach win a World Series title in his return to Boston. He’s compiled a 218-220 record in the regular season while serving as Boston’s skipper and has also managed the Blue Jays at the Major League level.

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