*Photo from the San Francisco Chronicle*
Well hey, there's someone from a division rival coming to the desert. The Arizona Diamondbacks and 3B Evan Longoria have agreed to a one year, $4 million deal, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Diamondbacks have confirmed the move.
On the free agent market for the first time in his career after being bought out by the San Francisco Giants for $5 million, Longoria is headed roughly an hour east to Arizona, still capable of being an everyday player at 3rd base. He has incentives in the contract that can push the deal to one year and $5 million.
Longoria has been limited by injury in the last two seasons, missing time in 2022 due to an oblique strain, hamstring strain, finger surgery, and a fractured thumb. When he's on the field he provides a little better than average defense, recording one out above average at the hot corner in the last two seasons.
The 2022 season was Longoria's 5th in a Giants uniform following a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays. He recorded a .244 batting average, .451 slugging percentage, and .767 OPS, adding 13 doubles, 14 home runs, and 42 RBI's in only 89 games of action due to injuries.
Previously selected to 3 All Star Games and winning 3 Gold Gloves, Longoria has 15 major league seasons to his name, split between the Rays and Giants. In that time, he has a .265 batting average, .334 on base percentage, and .472 slugging percentage, whacking 331 home runs with 1,131 RBI's in 1,912 games played. He has 10 home runs and 22 RBI's with a .182 batting average in 35 career playoff games.
One thing Longoria does particularly well is hit left handed pitching well, which is sure to aid the Arizona lineup. In the last two seasons, he has a .295 batting average and .915 OPS against left handers, with a career .281 average with a .868 OPS against lefty pitching. Against right handed pitching, he has a career .229 average with a .735 OPS.
With Josh Rojas getting the majority of the reps and others working in, D-Backs 3rd basemen combined for a .246 average and .319 on base percentage, hitting 22 home runs with 102 RBI's last season. Longoria figures to help boost those numbers in whatever role he plays.
The addition of Longoria continues what has been a busy D-Backs offseason. He joins Lourdes Gurriel Jr, Gabriel Moreno, Miguel Castro, Scott McGough, Kyle Lewis, and Diego Castillo as new additions to the team.
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