Arizona Diamondbacks Sign 3-Time All-Star

The Arizona Diamondbacks have added a veteran presence to their young, rebuilding squad, bringing in a former three-time All-Star, 37-year-old third baseman Evan Longoria on a one-year deal.

Longoria to the Snakes! pic.twitter.com/NqoaxNT6y3

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) December 30, 2022

The deal is worth $4M, with incentives that could bring it to $5M for the 15-year vet. 

Granted, Longoria's All-Star years are far behind him (2008-2010), and he spends quite a bit of time on the injured list each season in his later 30s, but when he does play, he still registers production that is normally above league average. His OPS+ last season was 114, and the year before was 124. Those are 14% and 24%, respectively, above the average. In the past two seasons, he's hit a combined 27 HR and 88 RBIs in just over 500 at-bats. 

Earlier in the offseason, Longoria had said he was looking for a "contender" to play for in 2023, but likely found interest from teams that fit that description a bit hard to come by. The Diamondbacks did improve by 22 games last season from the year before, but at 74-88, still aren't quite ready to be considered contenders just yet. 

But it's a nice spot for Longo to land, bringing his veteran savvy to a young, improving team.

Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports