Desperate Devil Rays

I wonder if the brass of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are fans of the hit show Desperate Housewives. Or at least, a fan of one of the actresses on the show, Eva Longoria. The Rays have a top prospect playing in the Arizona Fall League right now, and his name is Evan Longoria.

All kidding aside, this Longoria is a legitimate candidate for Rookie of the Year in 2008. He just turned 22 years of age two weeks ago and looks like a stud. Some, like Keith Law of ESPN.com, are comparing him to the Mets' David Wright, both are third basemen. Law writes that Longoria, like Wright, has all the tools - Gold Glove defense, a power bat, and steady hands at the plate that help him drive the ball to all fields.

According to the Devil Rays' website, theres a chance that Longoria, who only spent a month in 2007 at Triple-A, could be starting at third base for the Rays coming out of Spring Training in '08. And they could have good reason. In '07, when he spent most of his time at Double-A, he hit .299 with 26 home runs and 95 RBIs, according to baseballreference.com.

But make no mistake, once he gets to the majors, the Rays won't be looking quite as desperate anymore.