Tampa Bay Rays Pay Evan Longoria

No, Evan Longoria isn’t married to Tony Parker. He’s also not planning to be on Desperate Housewives anytime soon, as far as we know. He’s not even related to Eva Longoria. But Evan Longoria, with an N, has already made a name for himself.

With less than ten major league baseball games under his belt, the Tampa Bay Rays decided to lockup their third baseman super prospect to a long-term deal. The contract is said to guarantee Longoria approximately $20 million and could be worth as much as $45 million.

How good is Evan Longoria? Here are some outtakes:

One scout, after watching the Devil Rays’ Evan Longoria in the Arizona Fall League, predicts that either Longoria or Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury will be the AL Rookie of the Year in 2008. Another scout says, “He plays the game real easy, and that’s one of the finest compliments I can pay a player.” Longoria, 22, could open in Triple-A, where he has had only 104 at-bats, but might be next season’s Ryan Braun, making a rapid ascent to the majors.

Defensively, Longoria is an above-average third baseman with soft hands and solid body control. His footwork is a plus, both with his lateral movement and with charging the ball on slow rollers. His arm strength is another plus, and his throws have good carry and accuracy.

Longoria has a slightly open stance. He has a deliberate step into his swing which allows him to drive the ball well. He has quick hands that give him plus-plus bat speed. His stroke is quick, compact, and powerful.

Longoria has good pitch recognition. He sees the ball and knows what to do with each pitch. He’ll rarely try to pull an outside pitch. He has good power to all fields. Longoria struggled early in his professional career with pitches inside. He has improved that aspect of his game significantly.

Longoria is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and his negatives are few and far between.

Also, check out this Evan Longoria batting practice video: