Giants: Three options to replace Evan Longoria if traded

If the San Francisco Giants found a way to trade third baseman Evan Longoria, it would create a void at the hot corner. Who could potentially fill that void?

Evan Longoria had a nice season with the San Francisco Giants in 2019.

The 34-year-old posted a 102 OPS+ with 20 home runs and was worth 2.4 WAR overall.

After a rough introduction to the National League in 2018, Longoria rebounded nicely, and I examined whether the Giants could parlay this rebound campaign into a trade.

The inherent problem with that idea is that the Giants do not have an obvious internal option to fill the void that a Longoria trade would create.

He was the primary third baseman for the Giants in 2019, appearing in 119 games at the hot corner. Behind him, the remaining action went to:

• Pablo Sandoval – 45 games
• Zach Green – 5 games
• Cristhian Adames – 3 games
• Corban Joseph – 2 games
• Donovan Solano – 2 games
• Yangervis Solarte – 2 games

From an organizational standpoint, third base is clearly not a position with a lot of depth. From the list above, it would be a minor surprise if any of the players besides Solano played for the Giants in 2020.

Sandoval will likely miss a good chunk of next season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The recovery period is usually shorter for position players than the 12-16 month recovery time required for pitchers. However, he is not under contract for 2020.

If the Giants were to swing a Longoria trade, they would likely need to look outside of the organization for his replacement.

Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson are the top third basemen on the free-agent market, and both will command a significant investment from any prospective team.

With that being said, signing a top third baseman does not necessarily feel like a move team president Farhan Zaidi would make. It also does not feel like the right move given where the team currently is in the competitive cycle, after wrapping up a third straight losing season.

Nevertheless, there are still some attractive alternatives at the hot corner that won’t break the bank, if the Giants do in fact find a taker for Longoria.

Ahead is a closer look at three potential replacements to consider in the event of a Longoria trade.

Free agency has not been kind to Mike Moustakas.

He did not receive the long-term contract he expected when he tested free agency for the first time after the 2017 season, and he was forced to settle for a short-term deal again last offseason.

Despite that, the left-handed hitter has proven to be a competent bat over the years. Since 2015, Moustakas has posted a .264/.325/.491 line for a 114 OPS+ across 2,544 plate appearances. For context, only Brandon Belt (118 OPS+) and Buster Posey (115 OPS+) have posted an OPS+ north of that 114 mark since 2015.

In 2019, Mike Yastrzemski (123 OPS+) was the only Giant to eclipse the 114 OPS+ threshold with a minimum of 300 plate appearances.

All this suggests that the Giants do not have enough quality bats capable of producing at an above-average level. Before acquiring Longoria, the Giants were seen as a speculative fit for Moustakas while they looked for an upgrade at third base.

Moustakas is not a free agent yet. He has an $11  million mutual option with the Milwaukee Brewers that will need to be sorted out. He will likely decline his side of the option thereby becoming a free agent.

In 2019, Moustakas earned his way onto the National League All-Star team as he swatted 35 home runs, drove in 87, and produced an .845 OPS. At only 31 years old, he could look to cash in on free agency one last time.

At the end of the season, Farhan Zaidi stated that he would look to add more power to the lineup, and Moustakas possesses the type of power that would play at any ballpark.

In addition to this, the power-hitting third baseman brings some nice versatility after adding second base to his resume with 47 games at the position in 2019. It stands to reason that he could also handle first base if needed, despite playing just four games there.

There should be plenty of interested suitors for Moustakas, but he certainly will not command as lucrative a contract as either Rendon or Donaldson. That might be an opportunity for the Giants to target an affordable alternative while much of the league will be focused on Rendon or Donaldson.

In replacing Evan Longoria, there has to be at least one outside-the-box idea and Johan Camargo is that idea.

Camargo’s skill set fits the mold of the type of player Zaidi seeks in that he is versatile and gets on base at a healthy rate.

He has major league experience at every position with the exception of center field, catcher, and pitcher. However, his most experience at any one position is at third base, which is also his best position with the glove. Throughout his career, he has posted 5 DRS and a 6.9 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), so the defensive metrics have a favorable opinion.

With the bat, Camargo has been a mixed bag in his three seasons at the major league level. From 2017-2018, he recorded a stout .281/.343/.455 line across 780 plate appearances.

However, his offensive production cratered in 2019. In 248 plate appearances, Camargo produced a .233/.279/.384 line, including only seven home runs and 32 RBI.

That resulted in the switch-hitter being demoted to Triple-A. It was not a surprise despite his solid production at the plate in the previous two years, and considering the fact that the Braves brought in Josh Donaldson on a one year, $23 million contract to hold down the fort.

This might be the perfect time for the Giants to look at Camargo as a buy-low candidate, especially since the Braves hope to bring back Donaldson on a longer-term deal. A move like that would push Camargo out of the Braves plans.

The 25-year-old is not yet eligible for arbitration, so he would come with the added appeal of team control and cost-effectiveness. However, the Braves will use this as leverage to improve any potential return he may bring.

If the San Francisco Giants decided to parlay Longoria’s bounce-back season into a trade, they would have plenty of options to choose from as potential replacements.

*Honorable mention: Maikel Franco, Matt Duffy, and Howie Kendrick.