Torey Lovullo knows his fate as manager if Diamondbacks miss postseason

The Arizona Diamondbacks are competing for a spot in the NL Wild Card and are trying to catch one of the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, or Philadelphia Phillies.

They're running out of time, though they still have a chance to make the postseason entering play on Sunday, September 20. But looking beyond the 2026 season, manager Torey Lovullo knows what his future holds depending on this season's outcome.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale shares that Lovullo knows his fate depends on whether the D-Backs make the postseason or not. If they make it, he might keep his job. If they fall short, Lovullo expects to be let go.

Torey Lovullo expects to lose his manager job if D-Backs miss playoffs

"Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has publicly acknowledged that the club will likely fire him if they miss the postseason for the eighth time in the last nine years on the job," Nightengale reports. 

Lovullo is not actually under contract for the 2027 MLB season, so the Diamondbacks letting him go and finding a new manager would be as simple as not re-upping his manager contract.

Just like plenty of big leaguers, Lovullo is in a contract year. If he helps the Diamondbacks make the postseason, he might end up keeping his job. If not, he's likely to be let go. 

Amid this shaky future, Lovullo told reporters recently, "I understand it, it's the realities of this game. And you got to win. That's what it comes down to. I think we won a lot here. Have we won enough?"

MORE: Brewers' Jacob Misiorowski makes all kinds of MLB history with 1,000 pitches of 100 mph

Lovullo is likely managing for his job down the stretch this season. It's not going to be easy, as the former Manager of the Year, an NL Pennant winner in 2023, needs to close the year on a very strong note to make the postseason.

They're 4.0 games back of the Phillies and might be able to make up the difference between now and the end of the year with a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

But with one game against the New York Yankees and three against the Padres, securing an NL Wild Card spot is going to prove difficult.

If the Diamondbacks fail to make the postseason, Lovullo is expecting to lose his job as manager of the D-Backs. It's a brutally honest assessment of his situation, but it's the reality he faces as the Diamondbacks close out the 2026 season.

More MLB news:

• Tatsuya Imai predicted not to opt out of $36M Astros contract
• Why Braves could trade Spencer Strider this upcoming offseason
• MLB insider accuses Shohei Ohtani of misleading Dodgers about injury issues
• Freddy Peralta gets bad news on free agency odds to land nine-figure contract
• Padres predicted to lose Michael King with $58M opt out likely