PHOENIX -- It wasn't a hard decision for D-backs manager Torey Lovullo when it came to hiring Jerry Narron as bench coach to replace Ron Gardenhire, who left to manage the Tigers.
After all, Narron had filled the role on an interim basis early in the 2017 season when Gardenhire underwent surgery and treatment for prostate cancer, and Narron served as an "extra coach" when Gardenhire returned.
"It was a no-brainer decision for us," Lovullo said. "[Narron] did an incredible job or us last year in the role that we asked him to step into and that wasn't an easy task. I felt a huge degree of comfort knowing that he was in the dugout with me last year, and knowing that we made the decision to bring him back is pretty exciting. I'm ready to get this thing going and hit the ground running."
Narron, 61, was originally hired to manage Triple-A Reno, but he wound up staying with the D-backs after Gardenhire was diagnosed with cancer just prior to Spring Training.

Gardenhire, who managed the Twins from 2002-14, was hired by Lovullo not long after he was named D-backs manager last offseason.
In convincing Gardenhire to take the job, Lovullo said he told Gardenhire that if he took a chance on being a bench coach, he was sure it would be a short-term assignment.
"Because I knew some team was going to be able to see all the good things that he could do and get him back to the big league level as a manager," Lovullo said. "Because that's what he is -- he's a big league manager who deserves to be in a Major League dugout."
The only other change on the coaching staff was the addition of Luis Urueta. He replaces Ariel Prieto, who served as the team's translator and worked with the pitchers.
Last year, Urueta was the organization's Minor League field coordinator. While this will be his first season as a Major League coach, Urueta has been with the organization for 16 years. He signed with the D-backs in 1998 as the organization's first Colombian player and played four seasons in the Minors from 1999-2002.
"Getting him to come in is a great addition," Lovullo said. "He's got a lot of history with the organization, just excited that he accepted the offer. I had a lot of interaction throughout the course of the year with him about different things and was really impressed with all of his baseball expertise and insight that he was offering about player development."
The rest of the coaching staff -- pitching coach Mike Butcher, hitting coach Dave Magadan, assistant hitting coach Tim Laker, first-base coach Dave McKay, third-base coach Tony Perezchica, bullpen coach Mike Fetters and quality control/catching coach Robby Hammock -- will return.