According to reports, the Tampa Bay Rays third basemen Evan Longoria has been traded to the San Francisco Giants. It appears that the Rays will be getting Christian Arroyo, Denard Span, Matt Krook and Stephen Woods. The Giants also receive cash in the deal.
BREAKING: #Rays have traded Longoria to #Giants
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 20, 2017
Source: Giants get Evan Longoria for Christian Arroyo, Denard Span, Matt Krook and Stephen Woods.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 20, 2017
Evan Longoria Traded to San Francisco Giants
Longoria, 31, played 156 games for the Rays last season. He hit .261/.313/.424 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI in 156 games. Longoria’s defense earned him a Gold Glove amongst third basemen this year. He finished last season with a 1.3 defensive war while putting up good numbers in other defensive metrics. He split his time between third base and DH, and while at third, his RF/9 was 2.63 last year, and he posted a 2.56 RF/G (Range Factor per Game). The Rays have enjoyed Longoria’s durability last season as he was able to total 156 games; and in the past four seasons, he’s averaged 199.5 games. His speed was way down last season, with just six stolen bases. Longoria hasn’t been much of a threat on the base paths since he stole 15 bases in 2010.
Longoria has spent nine seasons in the majors, all of them with Tampa Bay. He has hit .270/.341/.483 in his career with 261 home runs, 892 RBI, and 51 Stolen Bases. He broke into the league in 2008 and won Rookie of the Year. During his rookie season, he slashed .272/.343/.541 with 27 home runs and 85 RBI. Since winning Rookie of the Year, Longoria has collected three All-Star appearances, three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger award, and a Defensive Player of the Year award.
Longoria has gone to seven postseasons with the Rays, with his last appearance coming in 2013 when they played against the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS. In that series, he slashed .154/.313/.385 with one home run and three RBI.
The Return
Arroyo, 22, was the Giants first-round pick (25th overall) in the 2013 MLB Draft. He played in 34 games for the Giants at second, third, and short stop last season but struggled at the plate. Arroyo slashed .192/.244/.304 with three home runs and 14 RBI. He was the number 62 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America in 2016, and has shown a power bat in the minors.
Span, 33, is a veteran center fielder. He played 129 games for the Giants last season, slashing .272/.329/.427. Span hit 12 home runs, with 43 RBI and 12 stolen bases. The Rays may try to flip him to a team in need of outfield help.
Woods, 22, was a third-round pick of the Rays in the 2013 MLB Draft. He opted to go to college and was then an eighth-round pick of the Giants in 2016. He had a 2.95 ERA in 110 innings of A-Ball last season.
Krook, 23, was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the first round of the 2013 draft but also opted to go to college. He was a fourth-round pick of the Giants in 2016. He had a 5.12 ERA in 91 1/3 innings of high A-Ball l
Last Word
The Rays, like the Baltimore Orioles, have to decide whether they are going to compete or rebuild. Tampa has struggled to compete in the AL East in recent years. Their last playoff appearance came in 2013, and while they finished third in the division last year, they have finished either fourth or fifth in the division three out of the last four seasons. Teams have been interested in some of the other pieces the Rays have. Starting pitchers Chris Archer and Alex Colome have been rumored to be in trades this off-season.
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