Evan Longoria will sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Tampa Bay Rays and retire with the team that drafted him in 2006.
Longoria, 39, played 16 MLB seasons, 10 of them with the Rays. He joined the Rays’ MLB club in 2008 and was named Rookie of the Year after slashing .272/.343/.531 with 27 home runs, 85 RBI and seven stolen bases.
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Longoria also earned the first of three straight All-Star appearances during his rookie season. He didn’t make another All-Star team after his third season, but remained a valuable contributor on both sides of the ball for much of his career.
Longoria earned MVP votes in six different seasons. He recorded 20-plus home runs in 10 different seasons and 30-plus home runs four times. He earned three Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger award. He’ll retire with a career slash line of .264/.333/.471 with 342 home runs, 58 stolen bases and 1,159 RBI.
“Evan Longoria embodies what it means to be a Tampa Bay Ray,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said via a statement.” From the moment he stepped on the field, he brought excellence, leadership and a competitive spirit that shaped the identity of this franchise.
“He, more than anyone, helped transform the Devil Rays into the Rays, and we are honored to welcome him home as he retires in the uniform where it all began.”
Longoria went on to play five seasons for the Giants after being traded to San Francisco following the 2017 season. He played his final season in 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He did not sign an MLB contract in 2024 and will retire having played his final games with the Diamondbacks.
Longoria bookended his career with two World Series appearances — one with the Rays as a rookie and his second with the Diamondbacks in 2023. The Rays will honor Longoria via a pregame retirement ceremony on June 7 before the Rays host the Miami Marlins.
