Evan Longoria and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a 10-year contract extension (six years guaranteed) worth $100 million earlier this week. The deal will keep Longoria with the Rays through the 2022 season with a team option for 2023.
The Rays drafted Longoria with the third overall pick in 2006 and he was the first player selected by owner Stu Sternberg and GM Andrew Friedman. Via the New York Daily News:
“We drafted Evan in 2006 with the belief that he and the organization would grow with each other and together accomplish great things,” said Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg. “That is why the Rays and Evan signed a long-term contract in 2008, and it is why we are extending our commitments today. Evan has clearly become a cornerstone player and a fixture in our organization. We are proud of what we have accomplished these past seven years, and I expect the best is yet to come.”
For a team that has sustained recent success with financial constraints, it’s a big deal for the team to be able to secure its superstar and face of the franchise for years to come.
Here are the four biggest winners in Longoria’s new deal.