Longoria to Open Season in AAA
UPDATE: (3/24) 4:33pm (EST) - As per the St. Petersburg Times, Longoria will be heading down to AAA, and Willy Aybar will start at 3B for the first 2 months of the season. That way, the Rays can control Longoria until 2014, not 2013. Stingy bastards.
Mar 18, 11:47am (EST) - Marc Topkin at the St. Petersburg Times speculates that third base super-prospect, Evan Longoria, will open up the 2008 season starting in AAA-Durham, with Willy Aybar getting the nod for the Rays.
Topkin notes that Longoria has been impressive during camp, but states that other factors might come into play in the decision: “the impact on his eligibility for free agency and arbitration, and intangibles, such as how the Rays think he’ll handle failure, how he fits in and what’s best for him.”
A final decision is expected from the Rays later this week. Either way, Longoria will get a call-up at some point if he’s sent down to the minors. I’d say by the All-Star break at the latest. You can catch our team outlook for the Rays right here.
Filed under: Tampa Bay Rays
Is this guy the real deal, or are we just paying attention to him because of who his sister is?
well Eva isn’t really his sister.
he’s probably the real deal. at least I can’t see what the Rays gain from playing Joel Guzman at 3rd or putting Akinori Iwamura back there and the random parade of no-hit no-gloves too! guys they trott out there at 2B.
My guess is that he’ll be up before June.
Stingy, but smart. If they don’t screw it up, this team is going to be NASTY between 2011-2014, maybe even sooner.