Does Evan Longoria Make Sense for the D-backs?
Evan Longoria will be hitting the free agent market this winter, with the San Francisco Giants likely to decline his club option for 2023. The Giants originally acquired Longoria via trade in December 2017 for Christian Arroyo, Denard Span, and a pair of minor leaguers. In his last two seasons, injuries have limited him to just 170 games.
The former Ray and Giant is looking to return for one final season, and has a list of three teams according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. Nightengale lists the three teams as the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first two teams come as no surprise, since he played for both of them, but the inclusion of the D-backs is a bit of a surprise. Perhaps his decision came from watching the team up close as a competitor in the final stretch of the 2022 season.
On paper, there are areas that make this a potential fit for Arizona. They're looking to get more depth at the third base position and add some right-handed bats to balance out their roster. Longoria solves both those needs to an extent, and would also provide veteran leadership for a young, athletic team. The two main questions are what type of role would he be willing to take and how much would it take for the D-backs to sign him?
There are some obvious risks for the D-backs. Longoria turned 37 a week ago and missed 154 games in the past two seasons with various injuries. Given his age and injury history, he's probably no longer an everyday player at third base. It's also possible that he's just physically broken down to the point where he is unable to contribute. While he slumped for most of September, he did finish strong, going 6-14 with two a two homer game over the final two series between the teams at the end of the season.
While there is no everyday player at the third base position, the team does have two playable options between Josh Rojas and Emmanuel Rivera. Both players have their warts, Rojas' with inconsistent defense and Rivera's inconsistent offense prevented either player from solidifying the position.
Throwing Longoria into the mix would most likely mean the team has soured on Rivera's right handed bat. He was acquired from Kansas City at the trade deadline and began his D-backs tenure by hitting .296 with four homers and eight RBI in his first 15 games. But he slumped badly, hitting just .180 with two homers in his next 24 games before his season ended with a fractured wrist. Rivera is under team control through the 2027 season.
The main issue then would be slotting Longoria into the right, short handed side of a platoon at third with Rojas over Rivera, and making sure Longoria would accept such a role. As a right-handed bat with decent power, he's an option to put in the lineup against left-handed starters or come off the bench against left-handed relievers in a big situation. In 2022 Longoria hit .282/.333/.479 against southpaws, showing that he can still do some damage when holding the platoon advantage. That's a big bat to add to a D-backs lineup. But he is most likely no longer and option against right hand pitching. Here are his platoon splits for the last three seasons in total:
| Platoon Split | PA | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | wRC+ | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vs. LHP | 257 | .298 | .371 | .532 | .903 | 143 | 15 | 37 |
Vs. RHP | 531 | .231 | .299 | .417 | .717 | 96 | 19 | 65 |
His biggest contribution to the team may come more off the field than on it, serving as a mentor for a young team that's lacking in big league experience. Longoria's 15 year career includes three All-Star appearances and five trips to the postseason. He can use that experience to teach the D-backs young core about handling the grind of a major league season and learning how to win close games. If the D-backs can land Longoria on the right deal they could benefit from both his leadership and his ability to lengthen their lineup against left-handed pitchers.
