Giants trade for Evan Longoria

Source: J. Meric/Getty Images North America

The San Francisco Giants claimed they weren't going to strip the team to the gears after an awful 2017 season and that they were going to take measures to attempt to return to playoff contention for 2018.

Their road to that status began with a trade with the acquisition of the greatest player in the history of the short-lived Tampa Bay Rays as third baseman Evan Longoria is on his way to San Francisco in return for four players.
Longoria fills a spot that was a gaping weak area last season at third base and adds a power bat to a lineup aching for one (and more than that still).
Even at 32 and coming off an off year (for by his standards) of .261,20 HR and 86 RBI, Longoria plays every day and plays top notch defense (Gold Glove winner last season), so even if he has lost a step, Longoria still has plenty left in the tank.

It's not all perfect, Longoria is signed through 2022 with a buyout in 2023 and with numbers starting with 13.5 million next year and ending with 18.5 in 2022 at the age of 37, so he'll be paid big money just when you would think he should be in a major decline.
Still, AT&T Park isn't the power sapper that it has the reputation for, at least for dead pull hitters (although it is for the power alleys) and I think Longoria has a good chance to provide the power he is being brought to the Bay for- at least for a while.

The Giants sent four players for Longoria in various stages of their careers.
Longtime TRS favorite Denard Span was part of the deal in order to keep the Giants under the luxury tax.
Span's inclusion will allow the Giants to make another move or two to continue to improve the team for 2018.
I've always liked Span, but at his age (Soon to be 34) and in the spacious AT&T outfield, his defensive liabilities were glaringly obvious last season.
Span can still be helpful to some team, especially if he could be a platoon starter or even a fourth outfielder, but his paycheck is way too much for that role.

Christian Arroyo was the main selling point for Tampa Bay.
Arroyo was the Giants top pick in 2013 and was brought up last season and given a chance to win the third base job when the Giants were having issues (as they would all year) at the position.
Arroyo had a good start, but slowed down and was demoted to AAA Sacramento as he finished with a line of 192/3/14 in 34 games.
Some had Arroyo rated as the Giants top prospect, but in my rankings,I have the latest Giants first rounder Heliot Ramos in that spot and for Arroyo's skill for making contact, what Arroyo does best is the easiest type of player to find.

The Giants also included two minor league pitchers in the deal that have two things in common-they both strike guys out and they have questionable command.

Stephen Woods is a 22 year old righthander that went 6-7 with a 2.95 ERA in 23 starts at Low A Augusta last season.
Woods has another intriguing stat to me-113 strikeouts in 110 innings...
Woods was a 2016 sixth round draft pick.

23 year old lefty Matt Krook was the Giants fourth round pick in the same 2016 draft out of the University of Oregon,
Krook was highly thought coming out of high school but underwent Tommy John surgery while at Oregon and last year at High A San Jose went 4-9 with a 5.12 ERA in 28 starts.
However, Krook still whiffed 105 in 91 innings and Cal League hitters hit just .217 against him in a hitters league,

Tampa Bay will also be including some cash yearly over the course of Longoria's contract to help with the cost of the deal.
It's risky for the Giants on one hand-32-year-old power hitters always have a chance of dropping off a steep cliff quickly, but Longoria is durable, isn't a defensive liability and even as he ages should still be able to deliver some power.
Evan Longoria alone is not the answer to returning the Giants to playoff prominence, but shoring up third base is the beginning of the process, so in the short term at least, the trade looks like one that is a pretty decent one...