Former Blue Jays coach could be on his way out of Arizona after Diamondbacks-Marte debacle

It's not a fun time to be an Arizona Diamondbacks fan.

Currently in a battle for the final Wild Card spot in the National League, the Diamondbacks have been distracted by the current controversy surrounding their star second baseman, Ketel Marte. It all started when Marte was a no-show during the Diamondbacks' series against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 17.

Eventually, it led to the Diamondbacks placing Marte on the injured list with left knee inflammation and ultimately publicly apologizing to his team upon his return, to make a long story short. Amid all that, a recent report suggested the aftermath might affect a former Toronto Blue Jays coach and his current employment with Arizona.

Torey Lovullo may be looking for a new team by the end of the year

In a recent report by FanSided's Pat Ragazzo, it has been stated that the Diamondbacks are considering parting ways with manager Torey Lovullo after speaking with rival executives.

"I spoke with rival executives and scouts about how they think the Marte situation will play out in Arizona this offseason," said Ragazzo in his report. "One rival NL scout suggested that the Diamondbacks could choose Marte over Lovullo, with the manager's contract expiring after the 2026 season."

The scout would go on to tell Ragazzo that Arizona is likely to clean house at the end of the season after failing to trade Marte at the 2026 Trade Deadline before acquiring his 10/5 rights. The situation stems from Marte being seen at a casino during his injured list stint and failing to communicate his absence to Lovullo.

Marte earning his 10/5 rights automatically gives him a full no-trade clause with Arizona, and given the team's recent concerns, it would be difficult to part ways with the troublesome infielder. Since 2023, Marte has had four unexpected absences, with 2025 being the other controversial absence during the All-Star week.

As for Lovullo, letting him go after the season due to an expiring contract would be an easy way out for the Diamondbacks. Lovullo has been the Diamondbacks' manager since 2017, having lead Arizona to the World Series in 2023 before losing to the Texas Rangers.

To have this happen under Lovullo's leadership four times is, without a doubt, a problem. However, you could also easily trace this back to upper management for seeing a continued pattern with Marte and not finding a way to trade him out of Arizona. Does it make sense for Lovullo to be a scapegoat for not being able to handle Marte's antics? Definitely not.

Lovullo was with the Toronto Blue Jays for two seasons, in 2011 and 2012, as their first-base coach. Soon after, Lovullo followed former Blue Jays manager John Farrell to Boston, where he became the Red Sox bench coach and helped win a World Series in 2013.

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