Report: New York Mets Among Four Teams Interested in Evan Longoria

The New York Yankees’ acquisition of Giancarlo Stanton has had a tremendous ripple effect on the rest of the American League East. Aside from the Boston Red Sox, who aren’t scared of a fight, the other teams in the division are considering selling off big pieces to try and rebuild. The Baltimore Orioles are shopping Manny Machado, who would make a lot of sense for the New York Mets, but the odds of seeing him in a Mets’ uniform are unlikely. The Mets have their eyes on another AL East third baseman, however, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that they have their eyes on Rays’ third baseman Evan Longoria.

The Rays are shopping several of their top players, including Longoria and starting pitcher Chris Archer. The Mets are one of four teams that have shown interest in Longoria, along with the St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, and the Yankees. The Rays have a sense of urgency to move Longoria before April, when he gains a no trade clause through his 10 and 5 rights. Longoria, who batted .261 with 20 homers and 86 RBI’s in 2017, is under contract through 2022 and is guaranteed $86 million. That figure includes a $5 million buyout for 2023, when Longoria will be 38 years old, since the deal includes a $13 million option for that season.

While Longoria remains a solid player, the fact that the Mets are in on him doesn’t make a ton of sense. They already are on the hook for another $47 million for their current third baseman, David Wright, until 2020. Even though Wright may not reach the end of that deal, adding Longoria’s money at his advanced age seems like a terrible idea. If the Mets want to invest some serious money in third base now, they would be better off signing Mike Moustakas in free agency. Moustakas hasn’t been as consistent as Longoria, but he is coming off a big power year and is entering his prime. The Mets would be paying roughly the same money for Longoria’s 33-37 seasons as they would for Moustakas’s 29-32 seasons, which seems like a no brainer. If Moustakas’ market dries up and he is looking for a shorter term deal, there is no reason that the Mets should part with prospects and pay Longoria. The Mets could also simply hold out for a year and try to sign Machado in free agency, but the odds of them outbidding the Yankees for his services are rather low.