Tampa Bay Rays designator hitter Evan Longoria (3) looks on as he hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field in 2017. Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Former Tampa Bay Rays Star Evan Longoria Takes Shot at New York Mets Clubhouse

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jan 17, 2025 3:12 PM ET

On Thursday, the New York Mets agreed to a one-year deal with outfielder Jesse Winker. Winker ended the season with New York in 2024 after a mid-season trade from the Washington Nationals.

After getting to the NLCS last season, the Mets appear stacked on paper after adding Juan Soto, Winker, and Frankie Montas. They are also still rumored to be players for reliever Tanner Scott, and even if they lose Pete Alonso in free agency, they still should be quite good.

However, not everyone is a fan of what the Mets have done. Take former Tampa Bay Rays star Evan Longoria, for example.

He put out on social media that the team "could be great... but hammer the over on clubhouse fights."

Evan Longoria doesn’t think the Mets clubhouse will get along well pic.twitter.com/ADnBlRcwoj
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) January 17, 2025

Now, Longoria didn't say who exactly he thinks could be the cause of friction in the team's clubhouse, but the fact that he thinks there will be friction is interesting in its own right.

The 39-year-old Longoria last played in 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He spent 16 years in the big leagues with the Rays, San Francisco Giants and D'Backs, hitting .264 lifetime with 342 homers. A three-time All-Star, Longoria also won three Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger Award and a Rookie of the Year Award.

He helped the Rays advance to the World Series in the 2021 season and had 10 career playoff homers. He helped the Rays get to the playoffs in four separate seasons and also advanced to the playoffs with the Giants twice and the D'Backs once.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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