It appears that even the Rays players are getting tired of this “Will he? Won’t he?” discussion about Evan Longoria and where he will start the 2008 season. (MLB.com)
In fact, it seems like most everyone on the team (except for, I’d guess, Joel Guzman) wants him on the roster come Opening Day. The Rays, meanwhile, have to decide if that’s worth free agency coming in 2013 instead of 2014. It’s a tough position for a team that has stated that its goal is to begin winning ballgames.
From a business standpoint, if Longoria begins the season with the team, he’d likely be eligible for free agency following the 2013 season. Meanwhile, delaying his Major League debut until mid-April would delay his free agency until after the 2014 season.
It’s a tough call for the Rays, particularly when they are trying to convince the world — inside and outside of the clubhouse — that winning is their primary goal.
It’s an even tougher call for all of the more casual, new fans that the team is trying to attract. I think that most everyone who reads this website – as much as we love Longoria – would understand the team’s reasons for sending him to Durham for a little bit to start the season. Many of us wouldn’t be happy, of course, but we’d at least understand it and know that it was done with the good of the franchise’s future in mind. For the casual fan, though, it would just seem like the “same old Rays” trying to save a few dollars at the expense of winning.
Longoria’s OPS is nearly 1.200 this Spring and he has done absolutely nothing to show that he needs more seasoning in Triple A. When the Rays decided to let him compete for a roster spot, they opened themseleves up for this kind of problem. Maybe secretly they wanted him to have some trouble to make the decision to send him back to Durham, but he has been the best player on the field this spring, which has not been lost on his teammates at all.
“I don’t know, man, that’s just a sensitive topic right now,” Rays left fielder Carl Crawford said. “So I don’t really know the reaction that guys are going to have [if Longoria doesn't make the team] just yet.
“I know every day, every game he plays, we want him as a team, for sure. As the days go by, and every day we get to see him more, we want him on this team more and more. Certain situations, that’s out of our control. We just have to wait and see what happens.”
I think the fact that Crawford says that he “doesn’t know the reaction the guys are going to have” speaks volumes as to what kind of reaction they’ll have. How in the world do you tell the guys “Hey, we’re really trying to win!” when you send the spring’s top performer back to the minor leagues? It would be like taking all of the strides this team has made this spring and all of the momentum that has built up, and poking a hole into it while letting the air come pouring out. It would be a P.R. and personnel nightmare.
I truly believe that the Rays are stuck now – they HAVE to put Evan Longoria on the roster to start the season. If they don’t, they open themselves up for a litany of different problems – not the least of which is a mutiny in the clubhouse (not to mention a mutiny by the fans). I know other people like to point to situations like Ryan Braun in Milwaukee as a reason why waiting until May to call him up is the best bet, but was Milwaukee really trying to convince people to become fans of the team?
March 20th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I understand both sides, Alex Gordon has a pretty productive spring last year if I remember right, but his reg season started out horridly. But for a team that is considered to be in “win now” mode, leaving Longo off would cause aanger and resentment in the clubhouse and in the seats…
I am hoping that his free agency is a non-issue mostly, because I am hoping they can sign him beyond that in a year or two (like Shields)
I have been on the Longoria needs to start in MLB train for a while, but one month of raking at AAA would not kill him, and I truly believe our offense would be good enough to keep chugging along til early May-
I hope he does start here, but I won’t be on the lynching party if he isn’t- Andrew has earned my patience…
March 20th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Let him play! Let him Play! Let him Play (Not until May)!!! I say hold him out till May and get him for an extra year in his prime. I am a Rays fan first and Evan fan 2nd…
March 20th, 2008 at 10:46 am
the most important thing about the Ryan Braun Situation is Milwalkee missed the playoffs by handful of games, If he was up al lyear it might of made the difference. Got look at it both ways.
March 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am
I have wrote an article on Saturday that he needs to be on the opening day roster. I think the Crawford quotes are very telling on how the locker room is thinking.
If they do send him down, I hope the team is honest with the fans on why they are sending him down.
Hopefully, their decision will be based on the field and not a business move.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I understand the business aspect of the decision, but you told this kid that he will be competing for a roster spot. He has done everything that could possibly be expected of him and then some. He has earned the respect of his teammates, and to my knowledge, the coaching staff. I think they definitely need to put him on the roster. I know Braun’s case and Gordon’s case very well. I think you go with a combo of both. Braun batted 6th for a little while in Milwaukee’s lineup to start off, and then he moved up in the lineup at a later date. Gordon batted 3rd, if memory serves me correctly, from day 1. I think the Rays should put him on the Opening Day roster on March 31st, and bat him 6th. Let him get acclimated to the big leagues by hitting down in the order to start the year. A lineup with him hitting 6th will be very potent, and would make everyone happy. The fact that they hold off his arbitration years is understood, but does it really make that big of a difference these days with how much these guys make? We’re talking about a couple of extra million one year earlier rather than later. The kid is ready from what everyone else can tell, and I personally, would love to see the lineup with him in it on Opening Day:
1. Iwamura 2B
2. Crawford LF
3. Pena 1B
4. Upton CF
5. Gomes RF
6. Longoria 3B
7. Floyd DH
8. Navarro C
9. Bartlett SS
Now, try to tell me you wouldn’t love to see that lineup on Opening Day in Baltimore.
March 20th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I will be sitting 2nd row behind Rays dugout on opening day in Baltimore and that is the exact lineup I hope I am paying good money to see…
As a side bar B.J. got hit by a pitch and was pinch run for in the 1st inning today, so say a little prayer that it’s just for precaution…
March 20th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I bought his jersey last night….I am sorry everyone
March 20th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Evan has been a “Winner” since his DJAA and WDLL days!!
Wouldn’t it be a shame if the Rays miss the playoffs this year by a couple games all because management starts him in Durham??
He’s a proven winner (Downey Junior AA, West Downey LL, SJB, Rio Hondo, LB State, High A, AA, AAA, Spring ‘08) let the party begin already. – Deejay Lee
March 20th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I am watching the Yankee/Blue Jay game and they are talking about the Rays. The booth is in agreement that the Rays should put Longoria on the major league roster.
Also, Orestes Destrade is saying that the Rays should sign Barry Bonds. His reason is that Bonds would put fans in the seat for this season.
I hope they would not sign Bonds, since I think he would be a major distraction to this team.
March 20th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I am watching it too, and this is why I hate, HATE, hate ESPN. I would not mind it if they expressed the opinion that he should be promoted if they explained the reasoning, especially if they had some informed perspective or some new insight into the issue. But all they can do is recycle crap, repeat the same cliches that have nothing to do with the Rays or their situation and echo truly moronic stereotypes about the ownership. They have nothing to say, nothing to add to the discussion, so they simply punch it up with superlatives and emotional phrases like “they should be ashamed” and “put your best team out there” et al. Duh. Isn’t that something nobody has said before.
Very telling is their awed expression about Gammons’ commentary on up and coming rookies. They seemed amazed that he knew so much. As a matter of fact, it was a useful summary of some prospects, but not anything that informed fans could not know, or at least be aware of. Now of course, some of that is hype about their colleague, but I really think they were impressed because they do not know anything.
March 21st, 2008 at 1:17 am
Odds Longoria will start season in Majors: 0%
This regime has never listened to intangibles from the clubhouse or anywhere else, and it’s paid off. Longoria spending part of April in Durham goes a long way in retaining his services at a bargain.