On December 30, 2022 (last year, if you will, but it was really just three days ago) the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to terms with third baseman Evan Longoria on a one-year contract.
D-Backs insider Nick Piecoro offered some additional details on the deal.
“Longoria is guaranteed $4M. Could make another $1M in bonuses,” he tweeted.
Longoria is guaranteed $4M. Could make another $1M in bonuses. https://t.co/n4yMaQSqwm
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) December 30, 2022
It’s a nice gamble for a team that finished 74-88 in 2022, but is one of the up-and-coming forces in the National League.
Arizona was the worst team in the league in 2021, with just 52 victories.
The 74 games they managed to win in 2022 represented a 22-win increase over the previous season, a sizable improvement that speaks volumes about the future of the franchise.
This past season, the D-Backs promoted several top prospects: Corbin Carroll is by far the most talented of the bunch, but Alek Thomas could also be a future star.
In terms of youth and talent, the team is well-positioned to make a run at the playoffs in 2023 or 2024.
They also witnessed a breakthrough campaign from Daulton Varsho in the outfield, and they just traded him for blue-chip catching prospect Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Christian Walker, Josh Rojas, Jake McCarthy, Carroll, Thomas, and Ketel Marte are bonafide regulars; and Zac Gallen developed into an ace.
Veteran Merrill Kelly is another legitimate MLB starter, and Drey Jameson had a successful four-star cameo.
Longoria, who had a .833 OPS in 2021 and a .767 mark in 2022, is ready to take over at third base for the snakes.
He is not exactly the poster boy for durability at this stage of his career and he is 37, but he still has plenty of thump left in his bat.
