Longoria traded to San Francisco
in this deal, Christian Arroyo, really fits that bill for us.”
Longoria praised Rays officials for how they handled the process, keeping him informed of the possibility of being traded and sending him to a team with a chance to win. He added that he didn’t want to be part of an extended rebuilding process.
“I don’t blame them,” he said. “I feel they felt they are in a position they need to make some drastic changes. … I think they felt this was the best time for them to rebuild from the ground up.”
Though Span is an established player, the 22-year-old Arroyo is likely the key to the deal for the Rays as one of the Giants top prospects. A 2013 first-round pick from Hernando High, Arroyo made his big-league debut on April 24 last season after a hot start at Triple-A. He made 32 starts for the Giants (21 at third, 9 at shortstop, 2 at second) while hitting .192 with three homers and 14 RBIs, then was sent back to the minors in early June and played in eight games before sustaining a broken left hand. The Rays say he is expected to be ready for opening day.
Span, 33, is a 10-year major-league veteran with the Giants, Nationals and Twins, who made him a 2002 firstround pick out of Tampa Catholic. He has a .283 career average with 243 doubles, 65 triples, 60 home runs, 432 RBI and 176 steals.
He made 116 starts in center last year, hitting .272 with 31 doubles, five triples, and a career-high 12 homers, 43 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases. He is one of three NL outfielders with double-digit homers and steals in each of the last two seasons, joining Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun and Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon.
Span is owed a $9-million salary for 2018, plus either a $4-million buyout or a $12-million mutual option for 2019. There is also a $3-million signing bonus payment due in January.
Though Longoria said at the end of last season he expected to stay with the Rays and still hoped to finish his career with them, there had been considerable chatter throughout the off-season, and by the Dec. 10 start of the Winter Meetings he seemed resigned to being dealt.
“I don’t know what to think, really,’’ he said, in a text response to questions from the Tampa Bay Times. “I think they have made it pretty clear that they want to cut salary, so I guess that leaves me somewhere in limbo.”