Rays trade franchise stalwart Longoria to Giants
It's the end of an era in Tampa Bay.
The Rays traded third baseman Evan Longoria to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday in exchange for outfielder Denard Span, top-prospect infielder Christian Arroyo, left-hander Matt Krook, and right-hander Stephen Woods Jr., the clubs announced.
San Francisco will also receive cash in the deal, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
"Evan is our greatest Ray," Tampa Bay owner Stuart Sternberg said in a statement, via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. "For a decade, he's been at the center of all of our successes, and it's a very emotional parting for us all."
Longoria told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that the Rays were open with him throughout the process and that he appreciates the trade to a team with a chance to win. "I don't blame them," he said. "I feel they feel they are in a position where they need to make some drastic changes."
Longoria added that he didn't want to go through an extended rebuild and expressed those feelings to Rays officials.
The Giants had been on the hunt for a third baseman this winter after their hot corner struggled last season following the trade of Eduardo Nunez to the Boston Red Sox.
Giants third basemen - 2017 statistics:
| PLAYER | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eduardo Nunez | 302 | 37 | 93 | 4 | 31 | .752 |
| Pablo Sandoval | 160 | 17 | 36 | 5 | 20 | .638 |
| Conor Gillaspie | 80 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 8 | .506 |
| Jae-Gyun Hwang | 52 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 | .459 |
Longoria, a three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, should provide the Giants with added offensive punch, but comes at a cost. He's owed $81 million through 2022 and has a 2023 team option valued at $13 million, which includes a $5-million buyout.
The 32-year-old had spent his entire 10-year career with the Rays, fashioning a .270/.341/.483 slash line with 261 home runs and 892 RBIs.
"It's obviously a tough day for myself and my family," Longoria told Topkin.
Span, a 33-year-old veteran, spent the past two seasons in the Bay Area, accumulating a .268/.330/.402 line with 23 home runs, 96 RBIs, and 24 steals. He's owed $11 million next season and has a $12-million team option with a $4-million buyout for 2019.
Arroyo was the Giants' top prospect, and could eventually follow in Longoria's footsteps as a cornerstone third baseman in Tampa. The 2013 first-round draft choice debuted in the bigs last season, hitting .192/.244/.304 in 135 plate appearances.
Krook, 23, was 4-9 with a 5.12 ERA during 25 appearances - 17 starts - at High-A San Jose last season, while the 22-year-old Woods pitched to a 2.95 ERA in Single-A Augusta across 23 starts.