Diamondbacks hitting coach Turner Ward never signed the contract he was offered in early October and Tuesday he informed the team he was leaving after three years on the job.
Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that a very “emotional” Ward called him to break the news, saying:
From what I understand, it’s strictly a baseball decision. He’s still going to be in the game. I think he might have a better opportunity somewhere else.
Piecoro notes that if Ward had signed the contract last month he would have had to get permission to speak to other teams, so clearly he was planning an exit to at least some extent.
Arizona ranked second among NL teams in runs scored this year and hitters like Paul Goldschmidt, A.J. Pollock, and David Peralta have thrived working with Ward.
