Rays: 16 Things to Look Forward To in 2016

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Oct 1, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) is congratulated by first baseman James Loney (21) as he scores during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Number Eleven Thing to Look Forward to: Longo, Longo, Longo

The possible trade rumors have started to swirl around Evan Longoria as the Rays struggle to find a way to get an above-average hitting team together. However, in our opinion you DO NOT trade someone like Longoria for many, many reasons.

He’s committed to Tampa Bay and signed a contract that says so. He’s exactly what a teams looks for and wants in a franchise player, has outstanding makeup, and provides an above-average performance at one of the hardest positions to get that from. His WAR rating (4.2 in 2015) continues to place him in the top 10 at 3B in all of MLB, and at 30 years old making only $12.1 million in 2016, he’s one of the best bargains in all of MLB.

With players now getting qualifying offers that are well above and beyond what Longoria is slated to make annually through 2020, there is absolutely no reason for the Rays to consider trading their franchise player. With great performances on both sides of the ball, and what we hope will be a better offensive team around him in 2016, there’s a chance Longoria will exceed his 2015 WAR rating and continue leading the Rays.

Next: Number Twelve Thing to Look Forward to: Pop from Cathers