Longoria Longevity
Nine years!
Let's put it another way. After Friday's events, Longoria has more years on his contract than days in the major leagues (seven, as Crawford noted). So much for conspiracy theorists who were convinced the Rays sent him back to the minors last month to keep his clock from starting for arbitration and free agency.
With a guarantee of $17.5-million over six seasons (and $19-million if he doesn't go back to the minors), it is considered the largest contract for a player, not including a half-dozen veterans from Japan and Cuba, with less than one year of major-league service.
The Rays made the deal, essentially, because they could.
They project Longoria, 22, to be a star, and doing the deal -- and doing it sooner rather than later -- gives them cost certainty over what he will make during his arbitration years, extends their control through what likely will be his first two years of free agency, and could save them millions if he is as good as expected.
WOW. Eat shit Vince Namoli.