Bullpen roles could remain ‘fluid’ this year for D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo does not appear to have a clear-cut closer on his roster — and he doesn’t sound determined to find one, either.
“I haven't yet made up my mind about naming somebody as our ninth-inning guy,” Lovullo said.
Lovullo said he wanted to remain “fluid” when it comes to bullpen roles, hinting that he might be open to determining his closer on a particular night based on matchups. He also said he could well have a set closer eventually, it just might take time for that reliever to emerge.
If these kind of comments from Lovullo sound familiar, that’s because he was saying the same things this time two years ago. However, that year, he ultimately wound up going with set bullpen roles — or at least tried to before his plans went awry due to injuries and poor performances.
Last year, he entered the season with newly signed Mark Melancon as his closer. Melancon struggled for chunks of last season and was ultimately removed from the closer’s role.
Melancon returns for the second and final guaranteed year of his contract. The club added a handful of veteran relievers during the offseason, including lefty Andrew Chafin and right-hander Miguel Castro. The team also signed right-hander Scott McGough, who has limited time in the majors but had a successful four-year stint as a reliever in Japan.
“You can see we’ve added some real interesting pieces, some that have done a great job on the back end of real good bullpens,” Lovullo said. “And some guys we’re going to count on from within our system.”
Lovullo said that in some previous years he had veteran relievers on his club who were accustomed to having set roles, making him less eager to have fluid roles. He thinks the personnel in this year’s bullpen might be different — and he believes that to be especially true when it comes to young relievers.
“I think the new normal in baseball, I think the Rays might have revolutionized it: They don’t have a role, they just have the best matchup,” Lovullo said. “I think the younger player that is coming through the system has that same mind-set. It might be an easier sell for them.”
Familiar face
Chafin’s one-year, $6.25 million deal was made official on Wednesday, at which point he met briefly with reporters, saying he was pleased to be able to land in a familiar place.
“It was the best deal in a place that I liked,” said Chafin, who spent parts of the first seven seasons of his career with the Diamondbacks. “So it worked out well.”
Chafin has been at his best over the past two seasons, posting a 1.83 ERA in 2021 and a 2.83 ERA in 2022. He split time in those years between the Cubs, Athletics and Tigers.
“I think the biggest change for me is my mental approach to everything,” Chafin said. “Just go out there, here’s my best pitch in this particular at-bat, here it is and good luck,” he said. “Just go for it. Don’t sit there and be on my heels and think, ‘You’ve got to be perfect.’ No, you don’t. Just go right at them.”
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No excuses
Lovullo said some of his pitchers were grumbling about baseball’s new rules changes during a Wednesday morning meeting. Pitching coach Brent Strom pushed back on the reaction.
“Strommy said it to the group, ‘I don’t want to hear anybody complaining about it,’” Lovullo said. “We have to adapt to it. It’s not going away. So we’ll find out who needs to make some adjustments and we’ll get it done.”
With a pitch clock set to take effect this season, the Diamondbacks will set up timers near the six-pack of bullpen mounds at Salt River Fields.
“We’re going to try to simulate that and let these players get a feel for what 15 and 20 seconds feels like,” Lovullo said.
Pitchers will get 15 seconds between pitches with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on. Pitchers also will also see the number of pickoff attempts curtailed this year.
Short hops
*Lovullo said he has yet to see shortstop Nick Ahmed, who is returning from shoulder surgery, “cut loose” a throw. “But he has assured me through our conversation that he is ready to go,” Lovullo said.
*Left-hander Kyle Nelson, who finished last year on the injured list due to elbow inflammation, is “100% healthy” and is already throwing off the mound, Lovullo said.
*To clear room on the 40-man roster for Chafin, the Diamondbacks designated left-hander Tyler Holton for assignment. Holton, who made his major league debut last season, posted a 3.00 ERA in 10 appearances in the majors. He had a 4.43 ERA in 24 appearances for Triple-A Reno.
*Former Diamondbacks infielder Daniel Descalso has joined the organization in a part-time role as a baseball operations assistant.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bullpen roles could remain ‘fluid’ this year for Dbacks' Torey Lovullo
