Evan Longoria started 2016 slowly. Through April 29, he did not hit for average nor get on base very well. He did hit for power, with nine of his 21 hits going for extra bases.
He then went on a modest four game streak starting April 30th, and the batting average and OPB came back. The very nice thing was that he didn’t lose the power. Since the start of the resurgence, he is hitting .310/.362/.601, with 39 of his 84 hits going for extra bases. He homered and drove in three runs Tuesday night as the Rays beat the Rockies 10-1.
Longoria is in his age 30 season, meaning he is about to start the decline phase of his career. He is signed rather cheaply through the 2022 season. He is in his ninth season, which means the Rays can trade him without his permission. A team that has not won in a long time, that can use a third baseman, could dump prospect on the Rays and maybe make the difference between winning the World Series or not. It turns out such a team exists, the Cleveland Indians.
I know Longoria is considered the franchise in Tampa Bay. The Rays, however, can’t afford to watch a player decline, no matter how much they and the fans like him. Longoria may be the most valuable player to teams at the deadline, and especially to Cleveland. The price is right, and those two teams should find a trade that makes Tampa Bay better in the future and the Indians better right now.
from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/29U6zNB
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