Giants Rumors: Evan Longoria to Receive $5M Contract Buyout Despite Wanting to Stay

Evan Longoria reportedly wants to stay put, but the San Francisco Giants may not be as keen on the idea.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Longoria prefers to remain with the National League West team for one more season, but the Giants "have no plans to pick up his $13 million option and will instead pay a $5 million buyout."

Nightengale listed the Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks as the teams the veteran would consider playing for in 2023.

The 37-year-old has been with San Francisco since the start of the 2018 campaign and has not been as effective as he was in his prime on the Rays.

He played in Tampa Bay for his first 10 years and built a resume that included three All-Star selections, a Rookie of the Year, three Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger award. The Rays also advanced to the 2008 World Series during his rookie campaign.

Longoria's best season with the Giants came in 2019 when he slashed .254/.325/.437 with 20 home runs and 69 RBI in 129 games. That was the most games he played in the past five seasons, as durability has been something of a concern of late.

He played 89 games in 2022 and 81 games in 2021, which could be playing into San Francisco's preference to not pick up his option.

There was also the mediocre production, as he slashed .244/.315/.451 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI in those 89 games this past season. The Giants also missed the playoffs at 81-81 and have made the postseason just once since the 2016 season.

That is a far cry from when they were the gold standard in the league with three World Series titles in five years from 2010 through 2014.

San Francisco could be looking to rebuild or go younger in the immediate future after a lackluster season, and Longoria may not be part of the solution.