Arizona Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo says it’s time to move forward

By Mark Brown |

David Peralta could emerge as the Diamondbacks everyday left-fielder. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)

Despite achievements of the past season, manager Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks indicated the hour is here to prepare for the future.

By the time manager Torey Lovullo of the Arizona Diamondbacks had a moment to enjoy his team’s qualification for the National League post-season and reap the rewards of NL’s manager-of-the-year, it is time to turn the page. Little time to rest and reflect back on accomplishments, he hinted Wednesday as the Arizona Diamondbacks opened training camp at Salt River.

The time is at hand to move forward, and that was Lovullo’s assertion to his team on the opening day of camp. While the success of last season was pleasing, Lovullo pointed out the calendar has flipped, and a clean slate is in full view. Because there is a tendency celebrate the past and forget dynamics of the future, most pundits tend to cling to the past.

Despite winning the NL wild card game and moving into the division series with the Dodgers last fall, Lovullo now hardly takes solace in that past. The task ahead is to address the nature of any unfinished business and help propel his team to the next level.

Telling Call to the Pen that motivation remains in place, Lovullo also pointed to the atmosphere surrounding the Arizona Diamondbacks team.

“We want to turn the page and identify the new expressions we have,” he said after initial spring workouts on Wednesday. “That was essentially the message I gave to the team (Wednesday) morning. This is a new year, and goal is to do things the way we did last season.”

Coming into camp, there are a few jobs open, and the most glaring is a corner outfielder position. David Peralta, who played left field for most of last season, graded well there and his play also caught Lovullo’s observations from the dugout. That would put Yasmany Tomas on the bubble as the left-fielder. During his remarks Wednesday, Lovullo went out of his way to waive judgment, at the moment, on the future of Tomas.

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At this same time, Lovullo pointed out that competition will evolve for middle infield positions and did not discount Ketel Marte moving from short to second. That would leave Chris Owings and Nick Ahmed batting for the starting shortstop position.

Equally glaring is the back end of Lovullo’s bullpen. Citing Archie Bradley, Brad Boxberger, and Yoshihisa Hirano as potential closers, Lovullo would not commit, at this early date, to a solid closer.

In the past, Bradley delivered hints he would like to start but proved too valuable out of the bullpen last season. At the same time, Boxberger, who came over from the Rays in an off-season trade, told Call to the Pen after his bullpen session Wednesday, that he is open to any role.

“I’m comfortable wherever they put me,” he said in the clubhouse at Salt River. “I feel really good here and everyone is very accepting. This is a new start for me and a breath of fresh air. Any situation they have for me is good, and I’m ready.”

The first day …

Lovullo reported that all pitchers and catchers arrived on time for camp expect one.

Because of paperwork, reliever Neftali Feliz was held up in the Dominican Republic. Lovullo expects the veteran right-hander to arrive in camp in the next few days.

Elsewhere … Right-hander Randall Delgado was held out of a bullpen session Wednesday and will go instead on Friday. Lovullo reported the team would ease Delgado back into a reasonable routine.

Delgado was lost to the season last July 16 with elbow inflammation. Later, his condition was diagnosed as a strained flexor strain, and the native of Panama underwent a plasma injection last September.

In 26 games a year ago for Arizona, Delgado went 1-2 and posted a 3.59 ERA. Among relievers in franchise history, Delgado is second in wins and fourth in strikeouts.

If there a hint …

In the Diamondbacks’ Salt River clubhouse, the training staff neatly assigned stalls to players, but omitted numbers 28 and 29. Last season J. D. Martinez wore number 28, and the organization appears to be holding out that Martinez, currently a free agent, will sign with the club.

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That prompted Lovullo to survey Martinez’s presence and production.

“I don’t read those things, but it’s nice to hear J. D. said some nice things about the organization and his teammates,” Lovullo told Call to the Pen on Wednesday. “We felt that same way toward J. D. He is a special player, and this is a special organization.”

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