SF Giants decline Evan Longoria's team option, making him a free agent

The SF Giants have declined the club option in Evan Longoria's contract, making the veteran third baseman a free agent, per Susan Slusser.

Marc Delucchi | Nov 10, 2022

SF Giants decline Evan Longoria's team option, making him a free agent /

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San Francisco Giants

The SF Giants have declined the club option in third baseman Evan Longoria's contract, per a conversation San Francisco Chronicle Giants beat writer Susan Slusser had with Longoria on Thursday. The news does not come as a surprise. USA Today's Bob Nightengale had reported the team's intention to decline the option in October. Instead of guaranteeing Longoria a $13 million salary in 2023, they will pay him a $5 million buyout.

SF Giants third baseman Evan Longoria connects with a pitch against the Cubs. (2021) — SF Giants third baseman Evan Longoria takes a swing. (2022) / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Still, this decision does not rule out Longoria playing for the Giants in 2023. Both Zaidi and Longoria have said they are interested in a reunion even if the option is declined. Per Nightengale's original report, "The only teams Longoria would consider playing for are the Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks."

Longoria has been the Giants starting third baseman since he was acquired in a trade during the 2017-18 offseason. Injuries have nagged him throughout his tenure in San Francisco, but he has been productive when healthy.

Longoria has hit .251/.312/.428 with roughly 24 home runs per 162 games over his Giants career. In 2022, Longoria posted a .244/.315/.451 triple-slash with 13 doubles and 14 home runs in 89 games before a fractured thumb ended his season.

Longoria also remains an excellent defender at third base. Even with his injuries this season, he was graded as a +1 defender, according to Baseball Savant's Outs Above Average Metric in 2022. When healthy, he has consistently been an above-average everyday player.

The SF Giants have officially made Evan Longoria a free agent. However, that does not mean they have ruled out a reunion with the 37-year-old. The team will have to weigh Longoria against other potential offseason acquisitions, and younger options at the hot corner already on the team, like J.D. Davis and David Villar.

Published Nov 10, 2022

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).