LAS VEGAS • As Arizona and its general manager Mike Hazen wrestled internally with the decision to trade Paul Goldschmidt, the face of the franchise and one of the finest hitters in the National League, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo took on different roles.
“I was attached to Paul, and he’s a once-in-a-generation player,” Lovullo said Tuesday as he spoke at the annual winter meetings. “Are you sure this is something that needs to be done? … It was different than anything I’ve been associated with in this game. And inside of my baseball life, it was probably one of the hardest days I’ve ever had.