Pablo Sandoval cashed in on another strong postseason, as he will reportedly sign a contract with the Boston Red Sox. The agreement brings an end to a successful seven-year stay with the San Francisco Giants.
Continue for updates.
Tuesday, Nov. 25
Red Sox Confirm Sandoval Deal, Third Baseman Speaks on Move
The Boston Red Sox confirmed their agreement with Pablo Sandoval via their Twitter account:
Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal passed along the corresponding roster move:
Sandoval was later announced at a press conference, with the Red Sox showing off his locker beforehand:
The former Giants star also commented on his decision to move east to Boston, via USA Today MLB and Major League Baseball:
Sandoval also discussed his nickname, via Alex Pavlovic of the Mercury News:
Monday, Nov. 24
Sandoval Signs in Boston
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that the third baseman's agent has confirmed the deal:
Rosenthal also noted free-agent shortstop Hanley Ramirez will be joining Sandoval in Boston:
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Sandoval's pact will be worth close to $100 million over five years. Heyman also reports that Sandoval has informed his former club of his decision:
Heyman also reported the final details of the deal Tuesday:
John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reported the Giants' final offer to Sandoval, which the two-time MLB All-Star turned down:
The Giants released a statement on Sandoval, via Alex Pavlovic of the Mercury News:
According to Mike Lynch of WCVB-TV in Boston, Sandoval isn't happy with the Giants:
Sandoval was an interesting case heading into the offseason as a free agent.
His regular-season numbers don't jump off the page. He hit a shade under .280 for the second straight season, hasn't reached the 20-homer mark since 2011 and his .739 OPS ranked a modest 77th among all qualified hitters.
However, something always seems to click once the MLB playoffs get underway. The "Kung Fu Panda" was once again a driving force as the Giants collected their third World Series title in the past five years.
In the Giants' last two postseason runs, Sandoval has tallied 50 hits, scored 21 runs and posted a batting average over .360. Furthermore, ESPN Stats & Info notes his 26 hits this year set a new record:
So the question was what type of contract he deserved: one based on his performance in the regular season or one that included his playoff success.
For his part, the third baseman told Jorge L. Ortiz of USA Today that he was hoping to stay in San Francisco, but he didn't rule out any possibilities.
"I'm happy to be with my teammates, with the team. They gave me a great opportunity. That means a lot," Sandoval said. "They taught me how to respect the game, to show love for the game. That's really valuable. They opened a lot of doors for me in 2008, and now I'm demonstrating to them that I want to be with them.''
It left the Giants in a tough situation, as they clearly wanted to keep the 28-year-old but would have to out-bid competing teams like the Red Sox, who were prepared to make big offers.
Inside the clubhouse, Sandoval's teammates gave him their support. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe provided remarks from veteran starter Jake Peavy, who said Sandoval reminded him of another slugger:
That was one of the several different factors in play.
Ultimately, the Giants decided they were better off spending their resources elsewhere and watched Sandoval make his exit. While it's an understandable decision, it's going to be very difficult to replace him and his postseason production.
As for Sandoval, the pressure is now on his shoulders to bring some of that playoff magic to the regular season.
Expectations will be high, as they almost always are for marquee free-agent signings, and he must respond with a big 2015 campaign in Boston.
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