Source: D-backs signing winningest manager Lovullo to new deal

Torey Lovullo, the winningest manager in Arizona Diamondbacks history, will return for an 11th season with the franchise in 2027, a source told ESPN's Alden Gonzalez on Thursday.

Lovullo, who was in the final year of his contract, will receive a new contract. He has a 750-768 record in his 10 seasons as manager in Arizona, but he has missed the playoffs in each of the last three -- and eight of the last nine -- despite being in contention.

After general manager Mike Hazen announced after last season that Lovullo, 61, would be returning, Arizona went 86-76 in 2026, losing the final two games of the regular season to finish two games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the final National League wild-card berth.

"I want to win a world championship with this organization, but I want to be wanted," Lovullo said after the final game of the regular season. "... I'll leave it at that."

He said earlier this month that he thought the Diamondbacks needed to make the playoffs for him and his coaching staff to return next season.

Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall recently said he thinks Lovullo likely did the best managing job of his career this season while Arizona struggled with major injuries and distractions that included the latest bizarre absence of star Ketel Marte.

Lovullo's teams have posted winning records in five of nine seasons since he led the D-backs to 93 wins and the division series as a rookie NL Manager of the Year in 2017, but their improbable run to the NL pennant and the 2023 World Series remains their only postseason appearance in that stretch.

Lovullo, who lost 110 games during the 2021 season, is highly respected within the organization for his acumen and his communication.

"Arizona is my home," Lovullo said after the final game of the season. "I love Arizona, and the people and the fans are spectacular. The group that I work for is amazing. I love being around them every single day, and I don't want that to change."

Lovullo was hired as Arizona's manager four weeks after Hazen took over as general manager, and their tenures are still intertwined. Their Diamondbacks have had the misfortune to be in the NL West with the dominant Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won 13 of the last 14 division titles -- and with the San Diego Padres, who have made the postseason in five of the past seven years during the best stretch in franchise history.

Arizona, however, hasn't been able to snare a wild-card berth despite rosters full of veteran talent and a solid young core, repeatedly falling just short at big moments.