Former SF Giants third baseman to get one more shot at ring with Diamondbacks

Former SF Giants third baseman Evan Longoria has put together an impressive career, but he was a star much earlier in his career. He helped lead the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series as a rookie in 2008 and he will make his first appearance since then with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Former SF Giants third baseman to get one more shot at ring with Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers have plenty of legacy Giants on their respective rosters. The Rangers, of course, are led by Bruce Bochy with Will Smith and Chris Stratton in the bullpen. On the other hand, the Diamondbacks have Longoria on the active roster.

Veteran pitcher Mark Melancon did not record an outing this past season after battling a nagging shoulder ailment. However, Madison Bumgarner did make a handful of appearances with Arizona before being released. Both would be eligible to receive a World Series ring if the Diamondbacks win.

They will need Longoria's help to do so. The veteran third baseman has achieved just about everything under the sun on a baseball field. This includes three Gold Glove awards, three All-Star selections, and the 2008 Rookie of the Year award. A World Series title would put the finishes touches on a very strong career.

The right-handed bat spent the first 10 seasons in a Rays uniform before being shipped to the Giants prior to the 2018 season in exchange for a handful of prospects and Denard Span. He had some quality moments in San Francisco, including blasting a solo shot to clinch a Game 3 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a competitive 2021 NLDS.

The 38-year-old was solid when healthy, but missed substantial time in five seasons with the Giants. Some of this was to no fault of his own as several injuries were freakish in nature like colliding with Brandon Crawford while attempting to field a ground ball in 2022.

The Giants parted ways with the 16-year veteran after last year. They held a $13 million team option for 2023, but opted for a $5 million buyout instead. Longoria latched on with a young Diamondbacks squad, providing a steady bat and a veteran voice.

That latter trait is probably more important at this stage in his career. The Diamondbacks won just 74 games in 2022, but are now four wins away from winning the World Series. This would be a very cool bookend to Longoria's career if he was able to help bring a title to Arizona.