‘Most transformative player’ Evan Longoria retires a Ray 

Evan Longoria led one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history during his first year with the Tampa Bay Rays. Retiring with the team “just felt like the right thing.”

The third baseman, who spent 10 of 16 Major League Baseball seasons with the Rays, signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the team Saturday afternoon. He subsequently retired from the franchise that selected him with the third pick of the 2006 draft.

Longoria was Stuart Sternberg’s first pick as majority owner. He joined the Rays a week and a half into the 2008 season and led the team, which had the worst record in baseball in 2007, to a World Series berth.

“It’s a memorable day for us to celebrate the most memorable Ray of all,” Sternberg said. “You’re looking at the person who was the most transformative player we have had, by leaps and bounds.”

Longoria jokingly said he could play Saturday after pulling on his No. 3 jersey. While he looked the part, his last season came in 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The three-time All-Star knew his playing days were over, but wanted to officially end his career in Tampa Bay. Longoria, 39, credited the team’s front office for “working out this day and making it special” for him and his family.

“This always felt like the place for me,” Longoria said. “It feels really good to be able to come back and put this jersey on and kind of celebrate what we created here.”

Evan Longoria (left) signs a ceremonial contract with Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg.

The then-Devil Rays went 66-96 in 2007 and finished 28 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox. “Longo” realized the historically dismal franchise offered an opportunity to make an impact.

“If I played well and I was able to kind of be the player I thought I could be, I had a pretty clear path to getting to the big leagues pretty quickly, which I think is every young player’s goal,” he said.

Sternberg noted the Rays viewed Longoria as the best player in the 2006 draft. He said that “any and all successes we have to this day are somehow tied back” to selecting Longoria with the third pick.

The power-hitting prospect out of California State University, Long Beach, quickly became a star. The Rays went 97-65 in 2008 before ultimately losing to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

“Evan Longoria’s place in Rays history is unmatched,” said Erik Neander, president of baseball operations for the Rays, in a prepared statement. “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.”

Longoria led the Rays to three additional playoff runs in the next four seasons. He earned the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year award, three Gold Gloves for his defensive prowess, and a Silver Slugger award during an “amazing” 10-year tenure with the team.

Neander noted Longoria also “delivered one of the most unforgettable moments in baseball history” with his 12th-inning walk-off home run in Game 162 of the 2011 season that secured the Rays a spot in the playoffs. In 2017, Neander traded the face of the franchise, who had just signed a six-year, $100 million extension, to the San Francisco Giants. 

Longoria threw out the first pitch Saturday at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to raucous applause. He eagerly anticipates an even bigger celebration in St. Petersburg next year.

The Rays will return to their storm-damaged home in 2026 and induct Longoria into the team’s Hall of Fame. He never visited Tropicana Field as a Giant or Diamondback.

“It just felt like I never really had the ability to kind of close out that chapter,” Longoria said. “Once we get back into the Trop, I’ll be able to properly speak to the fans on the field … I’m really looking forward to that. I think I’ll have to write a speech that day, but it will be special.

“We’ll definitely have a couple of floors over at the Vinoy (Resort) for people that are coming into town to celebrate with us, and so I think that will probably make it a bit more emotional.”