Evan Longoria to sign 1-day contract to retire with the Tampa Bay Rays
TAMPA, Fla. — Evan Longoria will sign a one-day contract with Tampa Bay and officially retire as a Ray on June 7.
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The greatest player in franchise history didn't play last season after spending the 2023 season in Arizona but never officially retired.
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Now he'll do it with the team where he built his illustrious career.
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'Evan Longoria's place in Rays history is unmatched,' president of baseball operations Erik Neander said in a statement. 'Evan leaves the game as our all-time leader in nearly every major offensive category. He not only defined an era of Rays baseball — he helped put us on the map. His impact, both on and off the field, laid the foundation for our success, and it's a privilege to celebrate his legacy.'
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The third baseman was selected with the third overall pick in the 2006 draft and starred for the Rays from 2008-2017. He's the team's all-time leader in WAR (51.7), games played (1,435), home runs (261), RBIs (892), runs (780), extra-base hits (618) and walks (569).
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He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2008, a three-time All-Star and won Gold Glove Awards in 2009, 2010 and 2017. Longoria finished sixth in AL MVP voting in both 2010 and 2013 and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2009.
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Longoria's image was made into a statue placed outside of Gate 4 at Tropicana Field to depict his celebration of a walk-off home run in the 12th inning of the final regular-season game of 2011 that sent the Rays to the postseason.
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