Diamondbacks, free agent Evan Longoria agree to 1-year deal: Reports

The Diamondbacks and free agent Evan Longoria agreed to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports. Here’s what you need to know:

• Longoria spent the last five seasons with San Francisco, battling .244 in 89 games last season with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs.
• The three-time Gold Glove winner played 68 games at third base and 17 games as a designated hitter in 2022.
• Longoria was a three-time All-Star and 2008 American League Rookie of the Year with Tampa Bay.

backstory

The Giants declined Longoria’s $13 million option in November, instead paying him a $5 million buyout and giving him a free agency invite for the first time in his 15-year career. The veteran third baseman posted an .812 OPS against lefties in the 2022 season and led the major leagues in production against lefties in 2021 when he separated his shoulder in a collision with shortstop Brandon Crawford. But Longoria conceded last weekend of the regular season that he wouldn’t ask for $8 million in the open market and signaled his willingness to meet the Giants at the negotiating table if they wanted to explore bringing him back at a lower price .

Everything to do with staying healthy

Longoria’s problem isn’t an erosion of baseball skills. He can still turn a fastball, still produce at a high rate against left-handed pitchers, and still put together a professional at-bat. He’s still secure as a third baseman, with plenty of arm strength to make a variety of plays. Longoria’s problem is that his 37-year-old body keeps collapsing.

Along with the accidental injuries (a sprained shoulder he sustained in a collision with Crawford, a broken thumb caused by a bad hop grounder, a finger ligament he tore when he was hit by a pitch) are all the other leaks and blown seals: touch-and-go hamstrings, oblique strains, sore throats and sore feet. The Giants couldn’t count on him being an everyday player, so they turned down his $13 million option in favor of a $5 million buyout. — baggy

Impacts off the pitch

Longoria still has value as a veteran in the clubhouse and on the bench, and the Diamondbacks are the kind of team with a young core that can benefit from having more experience in the space. Longoria has been a key link to the clubhouse for Giants manager Gabe Kapler and has always sought to encourage team bonding by hosting competitions or themed road trips or group outings.

He’ll likely be a ringleader in Arizona, too, and he might even help mend the strained relationship between the Diamondbacks and Madison Bumgarner. Longoria may have unwisely limited his market in October when he stated that he would only be interested in signing with Arizona or Tampa Bay — his two homes — if he didn’t return to the Giants. But the Diamondbacks must have been listening. — baggy

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(Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)