I'm sure there were a lot of surprised faces in Major League clubhouses this week when word dropped that the Tampa Bay Rays signed Evan Longoria to a 9-year deal. There were probably some pissed off faces as well, belonging to players that have put in years of service, and gotten nowhere near that kind of money. A kid that had played only 6 games in his Major League career got a deal that guarantees him $17.5 million dollars over six years, and could be worth as much as $44 million in the long run.There have been plenty of people saying that this is a good move for the Rays for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, is that in a few years this deal is going to be a bargain for Tampa, and it could save them from being in the position the Marlins found themselves in with Miguel Cabrera this off-season. These are all good points and well thought out arguments, but they seem to be ignoring one huge factor here.
The kid has only been in the big leagues for a week!
The Rays have never been a financial powerhouse in baseball, as the $44 million Longoria could make in his deal is more than the entire Tampa payroll this season (around $42 million). So personally, I think this move is a risk for the Rays considering their financial situation.
