With over a month to go before Spring Training, the newest member of the San Francisco Giants, third baseman Evan Longoria, is starting the next chapter of his career off on the right foot. During an interview with MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, Longoria shared how he’s gotten to know some of his new teammates and that he’s already started training at the team’s facility in Phoenix, Arizona.
Evan Longoria (@Evan3Longoria) with a clear message to his new #SFGiants teammates: "I'm here to win." pic.twitter.com/pL6Mzfiyit
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) January 8, 2018
“I did make it a point to reach out to Bumgarner and Posey when I got traded over,” Longoria said. “Just shoot them a text and say, ‘obviously I’m here to win and I’m here to follow your guys’ lead.’ I met Jeff Samardzija, he’s been over at the complex, along with some other pitchers that are already working out there.”
it helps that he lives in the Phoenix area. But he said he's already starting to work alongside the players there and coaches.
— Henry Schulman (@hankschulman) January 8, 2018
For the first time in his 10-year career, Longoria will be on a roster where he isn’t the top dog. With the Tampa Bay Rays, Longoria was the 2008 Rookie of the Year with three All-Star nominations and three top-10 finishes for MVP.
Although there is excitement surrounding his addition, Longoria understands that his popularity is no match for Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey, who both played key roles in leading the Giants to immense success during their nine years in the Major Leagues.
“Slowly but surely, I’m trying to meet these guys, but like I said with Posey and Bumgarner, those are obviously the two mainstays and the faces of the team for quite some time, so I definitely wanted to make a point to reach out to them and let them know that I’m here on their program and I’m excited to be here,” Longoria said.