Boston Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval hasn’t lived up to the expectations of his big contract and could be on the move because of that, with his former team the San Francisco Giants being rumored as a potential suitor.
Continue for updates.
Evans Comments on Sandoval Rumors
Saturday, Nov. 26
“I am not aware of any consideration of a reunion,” Giants general manager Bobby Evans said, per Chris Haft of MLB.com, “but we’ll never forget all that he meant to the Giants organization.”
Sandoval, Giants Reunion Being Considered
Friday, Nov. 25
According to Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald on Friday, the San Francisco Giants have “considered a reunion” with Sandoval.
However, Drellich added that dealing Sandoval would be “a long shot,” even though current Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski was not the man to bring him to Boston.
Sandoval Has Been Major Disappointment with Red Sox
Sandoval is preparing for his third year with the Red Sox after signing a five-year, $95 million deal before the 2015 season, via Spotrac.
In those first two years, Sandoval appeared in just 129 games and hit .242 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI.
It’s a far cry from a player who batted .294 over a seven-year stretch with the Giants, which included two All-Star appearances and a 2012 World Series MVP award.
Physical issues have played a major role in Sandoval’s inability to produce, though. He was limited to just three games in 2016 after he suffered a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.
Sandoval also dealt with weight issues, which the team tried to address last season in an attempt to slim him down. While it didn’t work before the 2016 season, it looked like the long layoff did him wonders, as seen during his visit to watch FC Barcelona train:
With the retirement of David Ortiz, the Red Sox will be looking for another productive bat to support Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia. If Sandoval plays like he did in San Francisco, then he would be worth holding on to in Boston.
But if the Red Sox are set on dealing him, it would probably take a big-market organization to pick up his deal and eat most of that salary.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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