MLB rumors: 5 players the San Francisco Giants should trade away

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 09: Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the top of the first inning of a Major League Baseball game at Oracle Park on June 9, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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Mandatory Credit: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images /

4. 3B Evan Longoria

Over nearly a season and a half with the Giants, Evan Longoria has a .241/.291/.411 slash-line with 23 home runs and 80 RBI. An expensive 33-year-old who is not notably producing has no place on a losing team, and playing home games at Oracle Park has particularly stifled the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year.

Via FanGraphs, Longoria’s batted ball profile hasn’t changed too dramatically. His fly ball rate has eroded from his peak with the Tampa Bay Rays, and his pull rate is down this year, but those things are to be expected. His hard hit rate has been over 41 percent in 2018 as well as this year.

On the road so far this season (entering Tuesday), Longoria has a .280/.365/.510 slash-line (.875 OPS) with six home runs and 16 RBI over 115 plate appearances. So some of his peak form as a hitter seems to still be in there somewhere, and he remains a solid defender at third base (seven defensive runs saved so far this year).

As alluded to previously, Longoria is making $14.5 million this year with $53 million due to him from 2020-2022 and a $13 million club option ($5 million buyout) for 2023. So the Giants will have to eat some money to move him. But a team with a more hitter-friendly home park, and a need for a right-handed bat and/or a third baseman, could very well have some interest in Longoria at the right asset cost.

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