Nevin to Join Bochy's Coaching Staff

In the days prior to the Diamondbacks’ managerial choice, Phil Nevin voiced that if not selected manager of the Arizona, he would become the San Francisco Giants’ new third base coach, and with the signing of Torey Lovullo, the twelve-year veteran has kept his word.

Following Arizona’s signing of Lovullo as the team’s new manager, Nevin, a twelve-year veteran and manager of the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces, since 2014, officially confirmed that he would join Bruce Bochy’s staff as the team’s new third base coach.

During Nevin’s three years at the helm with the Aces, the squad had a 227-205 record, good for a .525 winning percentage. In Nevin’s first season, the Aces advanced to the Pacific Coast League Championship Series before falling to the Omaha Storm Chasers in five. At the conclusion of his managerial rookie season, the Houston Astros interviewed him for the spot of manager, but ultimately chose former Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch.

Bochy’s decision to add Nevin to his coaching staff comes a little under a month after the Giants announced first and third base coaches Billy Hayes and Roberto Kelly would not return for the 2017 season, the first firings in the team’s coaching staff since Bochy replaced former hitting coach Carney Lansford in favor of Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens.

San Francisco still has a vacancy at the first-base position, and there have not been any rumblings as to who Bochy may appoint to the position. Within the organization, possible candidates include Jose Alguacil, manager of San Francisco’s Triple-A affiliate the Sacramento River Cats, and Steve Decker, the Giants’ assistant hitting coach who took Kelly’s place a handful of times this season.

The decision to hire Lovullo over Nevin may have been due in part to Lovullo’s relationship with Arizona’s new additions to the front office in Mike Hazen and Amiel Sawdaye. Hazen and Sawdaye were members of the Boston Red Sox’s front office while Lovullo was the team’s bench coach right beside John Farrell.

Nevin has had more hands on experience with players on the Diamondbacks’ current roster at the Triple-A level, whether it be rehabbing players or Arizona’s homegrown prospects. Despite this, Hazen and Sawdaye ultimately decided to choose the familiar option in Lovullo, who led the Red Sox to a .636 winning percentage as interim manager in 2015.

In Nevin’s career in the big leagues, the former San Diego Padre totaled 208 home runs with a slash line of .270/.343/.472 with a 15.2 career WAR. His one All-Star season came in 2001 where he hit 41 home runs and accumulated 126 RBIs with a slash line of .306/.388/.588, all of which were career-highs.

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