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Filed under: Majors
We’re only two weeks into the season and yet there are many debates in the industry focused on pinpointing which fantasy owners in certain league formats can afford to wait for the arrival of Rays uber third base prospect Evan Longoria.
That debate, as well as the wait, appears over.
The Tampa Tribune reports that Longoria wasn’t in the lineup tonight at Triple-A Durham and the local radio broadcast there reported he is on his way to the majors. Both manager Joe Maddon and executive vice president Andrew Friedman admitted that their top ranked prospect could be an option if current third baseman Willy Aybar heads to the disabled list with a hamstring injury. It appears as though the results of Aybar’s MRI exam could be the deciding factor in the decision and given the fact Longoria didn’t appear in the Durham Bulls lineup on Friday night, Maddon and Friedman may already know something we don’t.
Many fantasy analysts have discussed how we are spoiled when it comes to to prospects and expectations, particularly after the monstrous numbers Brewers phenom Ryan Braun put up after his promotion last season. What should fantasy owners expect from Longoria? On the positive side of things, I don’t believe the Rays will mess with his confidence. What I mean by that is it seems highly unlikely that they plug him into their lineup and then pull him and send him back to Durham once Aybar proves healthy. Aybar isn’t as bad of a player as some people would like to believe, but you obviously can’t mess around with a player who could very well be the face of your franchise in coming years. If I had to offer my projections I would say .270 average, 12 homers, 55 RBI on the conservative end and .290, 25 homers, 75 RBI on the high end. That should be enough to make him an option at third base in AL-only leagues and 12-team mixed leagues. In keeper leagues it’s time to get your hands on him and build around a player who could easily mature into one of your franchise’s cornerstones.
EDITORS NOTE: I can only imagine that former Rays closer Al Reyes was celebrating Longoria’s pending arrival when he was tasered and arrested by Tampa police early Friday morning.
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