Mariners should hear Torey Lovullo's plea with Diamondbacks future uncertain

No one will deny that Dan Wilson is a decent and respectable person, which is why even many of those who wanted him gone feel bad about how things played out. In any event thoughts now turn to who will be the next manager for the Mariners, with a decision that Jerry Dipoto dare not get wrong. With this in mind, the M's president of baseball operations will want to pay attention to what Torey Lovullo has been saying in Arizona.

Lovullo has just completed a decade as Diamondbacks manager, and yet he's getting the impression that he's no longer wanted in the desert. At the very least, that he's not really appreciated enough. As per Greg Beacham of the Associated Press, on Sunday he said: "I want to win a world championship with this organization, but I want to be wanted."

When asked if he would consider returning on another short-term deal next season, Lovullo stressed again that he wants to be wanted. In fairness, he did add that it's hard to say right now, especially with emotions so high after the Diamondbacks had missed out on the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years. However, it would be wise of Dipoto to at least reach out to the 61-year-old for a conversation.

Who better to manage the Mariners than someone who knows how to get to the World Series?

Following on from Scott Servais and Wilson, the overriding sentiment is that the Mariners need to find a more experienced manager to lead the way. And who better than someone like Lovullo, who actually knows what it takes to make it to the World Series after leading the Diamondbacks there in 2023?Critics might point towards just the two aforementioned playoff appearances in 10 season, but this can be countered with six winning seasons and competing in the same division as the high-spending Dodgers and Padres.

We've already given our stamp of approval for the Mariners to seriously consider Lovullo. As Sydney Jones wrote last week, he offers similar values as Wilson with his reputation for forging relationships with his players. Now throw in his invaluable managerial experience combined with having a previous link to Dipoto in Boston, and the appeal of pursuing the 2017 NL manager of the year only grows.

Certainly the idea of Lovullo coming to Seattle is gaining traction, with ESPN's Jeff Passan listing him as a potential target during a recent appearance on Seattle Sports with Brock Huard and Mike Salk. It's also curious that The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish retweeted the quote on X by Bob Nightengale about Lovullo wanting to be wanted.

The Mariners are apparently interested in Torey Lovullo, but will need to get out of their own way

If nothing else, there is at least some encouragement based on an article by Adam Jude on Monday, about five possible replacements for Wilson. Jude reports that the front office has already had internal discussion about Lovullo, with him apparently being a leading candidate for the job. Whether this all comes to anything though, is another matter altogether.

That's because arguably the biggest impediment is one which has often gotten in the Mariners' way -- their reluctance to spend the big bucks. Divish said during his weekly segment on Puck Sports that the M's pay their manager a little over $1 million per year, whereas Jones noted that Lovullo's salary is reportedly closer to $5 million annually.

Ultimately, we reiterate that it's imperative Dipoto makes the right decision when it comes to deciding on the next manager. He's now in his last chance saloon in Seattle and his ego needs to allow him to deal with a more experienced manager who wants to do things his own way. However, he in turn needs Mariners ownership to be amenable to spending more money, otherwise the chance of pursuing someone like Lovullo won't even reach first base.

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