Evan Longoria Trade to the Yankees Makes Zero Sense

Even though the ‘Hit King’ Pete Rose, feels Evan Longoria would excel playing for a big market team, the Yankees won’t be making such a trade anytime soon.

Evan Longoria is a very good player. Last season he excelled for a last place Rays team, batting .273/.318/.521 with 36 home runs and 98 RBI in 160 games. In 149 career contests against the Yankees, the 31-year-old has amassed 29 extra base hits, 32 dingers and 98 runs batted in.

But entering his tenth big league season, Longoria is just now beginning his $100M extension that runs through the 2023 season. History would tell us that the productivity of power hitting corner infielders begins to dip around their age 33-34 season.

So yes, for the next couple of years, Longoria would be a wise investment, at least monetarily at $13M, $13.5M, and $14M per through 2019. Sadly, the light-hitting Chase Headley is owed $26M through the end of 2018.

Coming off a World Series Championship, Longoria would be a wonderful addition to the Cubs (as Rose suggested). Considering the depth that remains inside the Cubs’ farm system and the fact that Longoria’s ex-manager, Joe Maddon calls the shots down on the field at Wrigley, a potential deal looks like a match made in heaven.

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Longoria to the Cubs would allow them to permanently move Kris Bryant to left field and stick the defensively inept Kyle Schwarber back behind the plate, once his knee is fully healed. Optimally, Schwarber is a DH, but until the NL adopts that rule, he’s got to play somewhere. And Schwarber’s already shown that the outfield isn’t for him.

But the Yankees are not yet the Cubs — not yet. The Yanks only intend to take on a boat load of salary if it’s tied to a player in his mid-20s (Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Matt Harvey), or a proven shooter. Sure they would take Longoria, but not at his current salary, or the cost of prospects that the Rays would want in return.

Though Yankees’ third basemen combined for the 29th worst OPS in baseball last season (.707), the club will first look to in-house solutions for more stability at the all-important hot corner. Depending who wins the backup infielder job out of spring, some combination of Ronald Torreyes, Ruben Tejada, or Rob Refsnyder could split time with Headley.

Come 2018, the Yankees may look to sign free-agent slugger and New Jersey native Todd Frazier if his asking price were a reasonable 3-year/$35M. Though Frazier (31) has shown a propensity for racking up strikeouts over the past few seasons — which has greatly affected his batting average, Frazier brings great power numbers and the ability to play multiple positions well (3B, 1B, LF, RF). We know how much the Yankees currently value versatility.

Otherwise, more realistic replacements could be 20-year-old super prospect Gleyber Torres or 22-year-old Miguel Andujar. Torres is currently batting over .400 this spring and has displayed power to all gaps but has been less than stellar defensively, bouncing between both middle infield positions. However, his arm strength is big league ready.

Next: What Spring Has Told Us About This Yankees Team

Andujar, who hasn’t played more than 75 games above Double-A, needs to prove more consistent across the board, but his raw talent and his exciting play lend itself to the real possibility of a call up should Headley enter a long slump or become injured.