The Tampa Bay Rays finally opened their checkbooks. Albeit for their best player on the team in his prime. Evan Longoria agreed to a six-year $100 million extension on Monday. The deal will guarantee Longoria the four options that were left on his contract for just over $36 million. In total Longoria is guaranteed $136 over 10 seasons.
Only 27-years-old, Longoria is just entering his prime. He's won a gold glove, and taken Tampa Bay to heights that have never been seen before. He struggled with hamstring issues last year, which lead to his worst season in the majors. But, even when Longoria was healthy, the fans were still non-existent in Tampa. They have never been able to draw, never. Always at the bottom of the league in attendance, most recently being this year, with a team that had a Cy Young winning in David Price, and a team that was competing for a division championship until the last week of the season.
As a baseball fan, you should want to go see David Price pitch every fifth day. He's electric, and has a chance to show you something you have never seen before. If you moved this team to Boston, they would sell out every game, have a crazy fan base, on the edge of their seat every time Longoria comes up to the plate, or Price is on the mound.
Tampa has one of the lowest TV deals at around $16 million a year, compared to the Dodgers new billion dollar a deal annually, Tampa's deal is pennies on the dollar. A team cannot thrive with a deal like that, that's why in the past, they sell-off all their stars that are going to command top dollar when they become free-agents. Longoria is the exception, he has the pretty boy face for marketing the team, and is a MVP candidate, season in and season out. General Manager Andrew Friedman is stepping into uncharted territory. Let's hope that the Rays can survive the fishy waters of south Florida, and see the end of Longoria's deal in 2022.
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