The six year, $17.5 million contract that Evan Longoria signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in April of his 2008 rookie season was thought of as the best contract in all of baseball by a vast amount of fans and executives across the game. The Rays aren't going to need to worry about exercising Longoria's options from 2014 to 2016 in the original deal, because they've signed their All-Star third baseman to a six year contract extension that will take him through the 2022 season. Seriously.
Longoria's salaries from 2013 through 2016 will be paid as scheduled, with the club option years closing out the deal becoming guaranteed salaries. Then, from 2017 through 2022, Longoria will make a total of $100 million. The new years added on to the deal will take place starting with Longoria's age 31 season, and go through his age 36 year. The new contract, former option years included, is now essentially a ten year, $136 million deal
Even with the *huge* financial burden this contract has, Longoria's contract is *still* favorable to the Rays, just not nearly as much as his originally contract extension. Consider that Troy Tulowitzki is signed through 2020, his age 35 season, and has been beaten down by injuries even more than Longoria. Consider that Ryan Zimmerman is signed through his age 36 season, and there are already rumblings about him being shifted to first base in the next year or two. Also consider that both of those players are making more money than Longoria for less control, and that Longoria is a better player than both of them.
Man, that's so Rays. I mentioned in the DD this morning whether or not a team would get a great Cyber Monday deal…of course, it would be the Rays that get a fantastic discount on a player who many didn't even realize would get another extension this offseason.
