The D-backs Expect to Bring Back Coaching Staff

During Manager Torey Lovullo's press conference on Thursday, he announced that he expects his entire coaching staff to return for the 2024 season. Much has been said and written about the great coaching staff that Lovullo and his team have. They have one of the all-time best pitching coaches in Brent Strom. A legendary first-base coach in Dave McKay and a great defensive third-base coach in Tony Perezchica are both expected to return to their roles. So is bullpen coach Mike Fetters and others. The only question mark might be Bench Coach Jeff Banister.

The reason is that there is some speculation that Banister might get a manager's job or at least be interviewed by teams this off-season. Multiple teams are searching for a new manager including the Guardians, Padres, and Mets. Should he be hired elsewhere, the D-backs would be forced to find a new second-in-command for Lovullo. The manager had this to say about his coaching staff following the 2023 season. 

"Thanks to my coaching staff. How can I not thank them? Right? Thank you to them for accepting the madness that I have in my brain. Trusting what it is that I am trying to get everybody to then taking it from there and showing your own personal expertise by putting a little bit more of a touch on messaging and teaching.

The coaching staff was fantastic this year. We had some hardships this year. I'm not going to lie. We had some tough conversations. We challenged one another. At the end of it, we were there for one reason and that was the players. I said to all the coaches, "you guys are all coming back." I said it a short time ago to the group so I can say it to [everyone]. I'm hoping they all want to come back. I'm assuming they all want to come back. Nobody's come into my office and said I'll see you in another lifetime. So, I think everybody wants to come backs."

One person who isn't on the coaching staff, but does give Lovullo her thoughts and what he should tell the players to do is his 91-year-old mom. She gave Lovullo a pointed reminder about what to do to help Walker get out of the postseason slump that he was enduring.

"My mom who would send me texts...she would talk about hitting the ball with authority the other way. I mean quote, "make sure that Christian Walker can hit the ball with authority the other way because that's when he becomes very lethal.

A 91-year-old mom telling me like that and [she ended her texts with] "just saying, dot dot dot." like leaving it up to me to get that message to Christian Walker like "hey Christian, my mom said to go the other way because you're really lethal, oh and with authority, please."

Pitching Coach Brent Strom admitted to reporters that "I still got a little life left in this old body." when asked if he plans to come back next year.