The Giants have reached a deal to bring third baseman Pablo Sandoval back to the organization, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. It’ll be a minor league arrangement with a $2MM base salary in the event that Sandoval makes the club. Sandoval, a Beverly Hills Sports Council client, can also earn an additional $750K via incentive pay.
Sandoval, 33, has spent the past two and a half seasons back with the Giants after being cut loose by the Red Sox at the halfway point of an ill-fated $95MM contract. While he hasn’t been the hitter he was at his peak during the Giants’ even-year dynasty, he turned in a quality .268/.313/.507 slash with 14 long balls in a part-time role in 2019. His season, however, came to an early end at the beginning of September with the revelation that he required Tommy John surgery. Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets that Sandoval is ahead of schedule in his rehab from that procedure.
With Evan Longoria still locked in as the everyday third baseman in San Francisco, another backup role seems likely for Sandoval. He’s surely amenable to whatever role will keep him in the Bay Area, though, as the beloved Giants fan favorite recently voiced his desire to retire as a Giant. He’d presumably step into a larger role in the event of a Longoria injury and will otherwise see occasional time at first base and perhaps even at second base in emergency situation after logging seven innings there in 2019.
Francys01
Good by the Giants.
5TUNT1N
I like giving this type of hometown kid the ability to rehab. Not to mention I will hopefully get to see the Panda doing some rehab in Sacramento. Seems like a good organizational quality move to me.
looiebelongsinthehall
Can’t believe he’s just 33. He certainly looked old in Boston.
TeddyBallgameYazJimEd
Lol…that is the first thing that jumped out at me too. He’s 33…he looked 38 a few years ago in Boston.
BobLanier'sFeet
Only place he’ll rehab is KFC
Melvin McMurf
lol
looiebelongsinthehall
Imagine if he was on the 2011 Sox…
aloysius
Maybe rehabbing some egg rolls at Panda Express….
keysox
Not going to make club
A joke
VTGiant
At least this will be another option at 1st, in the event Belt needs to play some in the OF
What’s the standard recovery time for a non-pitcher. His surgery was September 4th
mfm420
can be about 7-10 months, but rarely, can be less (5-6 months, so it’s possible pablo is gonna be either ready to go when position players report or not more than a few weeks behind).
TeddyBallgameYazJimEd
With Panda things are measured in Pounds…Not Weeks.
oldleftylong
Of course!
5TUNT1N
Alright! Alright!
antibelt
He had Tommy John only a couple of months ago! It is Pablo, so I don’t put it past him though.
claude raymond
Early september. Almost 5 months ago
surefirewinners
Every time I see his name, I think of the $95 MM that he stole from the Red Sox.
SMH
Badfinger
Right. He forced Boston to give him that contract at gun point.
mcmillankmm
I mean he certainly didn’t perform up to those expectations
Stat_head
What were your expectations for a 300 lb 3B on the wrong side of 30??
TeddyBallgameYazJimEd
That’s what’s amazing…He was not on “the wrong side of 30” he was only 28… But played and looked like a retired 38 year old player.
robertp
No but if you take that money you should be taking the job seriously, not keeping yourself out of shape or checking out dating sites on the bench when you’re not performing. He came to Boston and thought he could coast. He deserves the scorn for the way he performed during that contract. It’s not just about him declining naturally or just slumping at the plate. He created a bunch of additional unnecessary factors that accelerated the decline there.
pasha2k
Xactly Robert!!!!!!
jleve618
I argue the fans and organization created the factors that led to his not performing. He was always big, but he plays better when he is comfortable within himself. Heck, some of his worst seasons were his lightest.
pasha2k
Sure…..I feel the same way. There should be clause in a big contract on an “iffy” player that if you don’t take care of yourself n can’t perform your contract null n void. He has some nerve doing that to a team who signed him happily in good faith. I hope he took his broken belt with him when he left. Imagine taking the money n he can’t bend down to field a ball since he was food binging all off season after taking the contract!
Jean Matrac
pasha2k:
Then that’s on the BoSox, for not including a clause for his weight. It was well documented how he rode the bench in the 2010 WS because he was out of shape. His weight was a topic of discussion every year that he was a Giant. It was also no secret that SF had him on a weight regimen.
Shame on Sandoval for not living up to his contract, but shame on the RS for ignoring the elephant in the room. The both share the blame for that disastrous contract.
pasha2k
The RS were at blame in believing an adult couldn’t do his part n keep in shape after getting paid a FA reward.
RadioPirate
Say what you will about Panda, but that .830 OPS makes him an All Star on this version of the Giants.
pustule bosey
considering it was almost entirely off the bench it is pretty impressive.
pasha2k
Radio that is testament of the quality of the other players in the league being inferior if that joker is an all start!!!!
reflect
What’s the TJ timeline for position players again? 12 months right?
pustule bosey
more like 8 – 12 months is usually for pitchers
Pike
so you’re saying we won’t see Pablo pitch again for 12 months? 🙂
pustule bosey
heh i guess so
differentbears
Corey Seager had TJS in early May 2018 and was fine by 2019 Spring Training, although it took him a few more months to really look like his old self.
Prospectnvstr
He didn’t force Boston to sign him. Yes, he definitely didn’t live up to his part of the deal. It was highly unlikely that he was going to in the first place.
talking baseball
As I’ve stated in past posts, I believe that the reason he signed with Boston in the first place as do to David Ortiz recruiting him to Boston. The Giants even offered more money trying to get him to stay.
Glad he’s back, great attitude & presence in the clubhouse !!
Bigdodgerdog
Ya great in clubhouse, especially when he said he hated all his teammates except Hunter Pence
Kapler's Coconut Oil
Clearly you haven’t been paying attention to the clubhouse then. He apologized and has been forgiven and has become the lynchpin of the clubhouse once again
KirkRueter
Speaking of Hunter Pence, he’s available as well.. Giants should sign him too.
Chief Two Hands
He still blasted the Giants on his way out.
pasha2k
Then perhaps he should follow Ortiz n eat less so he could bend down to field a ball!!!!!!
filthyrich
hah did David Ortiz bend down to field a ball once?
pasha2k
Yes he did n played his position well during 3 WS wins.
claude raymond
Didn’t see the field in 2010 World Series. Wasn’t onthe roster
rightyspecialist
Oh lord
Jean Matrac
rightyspecialist, lol.
christianponder
You’d think Boston would take a flier on him
Mrtwotone
They would be the LAST team to do that
Rickey O'Sunnyvale
Somebody’s going to have to pitch the 9th inning in all of the Giants 15-3 home losses.
geg42
I wonder if the Giants would’ve taken Casey Miss instead of Joey Train Bart I’d be hadn’t hit that homer on the last day of the 2018 season.
James1955
geg42. The Giants said that if they had the 1st pick of 2018 draft, they would of drafted Bart. So far so good with Bart. He could be another Posey.
Kapler's Coconut Oil
The Giants never said that. Mize was the clear #1 pick, odds are he would have been drafted as such by the Giants. Bart is a good kid though, it should work out in the end
James1955
Evans did say that. I would have to disagree with you. Posey was a big part of the Giants winning 3 World Championships.
brandons-3
It’s possible, but we’ll never know. No GM will ever say “Yeah we wanted this guy who wasn’t available, but we took this guy.”
But it’s apples to oranges. Mize was considered the better prospect while Bart was clearly the best bat at the time. Reminds me of when everyone expected Chicago to take Jon Gray, but selected Kris Bryant instead.
solaris602
I thought that with Evans gone and Zaidi in place this organization would finally be able to move on from Sandoval. Boy, was I wrong. I’m not sure they’ll ever move on from him.
Kapler's Coconut Oil
They don’t need to. He’s not blocking prospects, he’s not taking up a large part of the payroll, and he has a positive impact on the clubhouse while providing solid numbers off the bench
the moon
Could platoon with Solano at 3B and try to get some value for Longoria on the trade market.
pustule bosey
i don’t know what you’ll get for longo on the trade market but farhan has ex pressed wanting to move him
Jean Matrac
solaris602:
You’re placing way too much importance on this signing. It’s an extremely low risk signing. If signing a guy makes sense, who he is, or where he played, should not be a factor. Sandoval has provided reasonable production, even very good production, given his role as a bench/utility guy.
To pass on a player that can be productive simply because he symbolizes something negative for some fans would be silly, and short-sighted.
If he doesn’t produce, he’s gone. No big deal.
solaris602
What exactly are the Giants doing? Are they rebuilding, retooling, or just treading water? If I’m a Giants fan I’m alarmed by the Sandoval signing because he’s just coming off TJ surgery AND more so by the fact they have nobody in their system who can fill that roster spot. Do they have no one on the near horizon who has potential?
Jean Matrac
What roster spot? Utility/bench guy? Why so alarmed over a minor league deal? He was one of, if not the best, utility guy/bench bat in MLB last season until the injury. If he has anything to offer he’ll play a minor role in 2020. If he can’t beat out other guys for the bench he’s either gone, or assigned to AAA as depth. His signing means very little in the overall scheme. This does nothing to hinder building the team for the future. I can’t understand the angst over such a low impact signing.
letimmysmoke55
for about a third of the season he was the best hitter on the team
Chief Two Hands
Put him on a little league team and he may be the best player overall.
bobtillman
His recovery is going very well. He’s able to get up to the Dessert Bar at the Old Country Buffett 10 times before he needs assistance.
Psychguy
but still lagging behind most on this list.
dynamite drop in monty
It takes a real pathetic slag of vermin to make these “jokes”.
Chief Two Hands
Settle down, chubs.
dynamite drop in monty
You know for a fat guy you’re not very jolly
JayRyder
What I’ve noticed about This Team. Is they are very PR Heavy, In their moves. Some of them. While still majority is how they are running their business. Small upgrades to pace the contenders in a few years.
KirkRueter
You love to see it
dynamite drop in monty
Entemanns? Do they have a castle at Windsor?
gmenfan
No, they have a display case at the end of the aisle.
dynamite drop in monty
Haha nice
Chief Two Hands
We are all unhappy. Do we have to be fat, too? Not you, Pablo. I know you have a slow metabolism.
dynamite drop in monty
I installed it in order to catch OtherWalter using my latrine.
Jean Matrac
So many eating/fat references just shows the level of ignorance is high for some fans. Clearly, over his tenure with SF, with the exception of the 2010 WS, Sandoval has kept his weight down to the extent that he could perform.
Boston’s mistake was the lack of a clause in his contract regarding his weight. He even said that if he had signed with SF he would have been on a weight regimen for the next 5 years, and that he liked it that the RS didn’t not bring up his weight.
That Sandoval has been reasonably productive over the past 2 1/2 years is because SF monitors his conditioning. The Giants can well afford to eat $2MM if his weight interferes with his performance. He knows if he shows up looking like he did in 2015 in Boston, he’s out of a job.
pasha2k
Is he NOT a grown man who signs a contract from a team who wanted him in good faith, n slap them in the face n not live up to his contract. He’s a manipulative fraud artist. Sorry ppl like him are almost unheard of in sports doing that to a team who signed him in good faith, n all they got was a high paid athlete who breaks belts n can’t bend over to get a ball hit to him. He should’ve returned the money if he was any kinda good human being. Not cuz the RS need it, just to show he knows he was wronging them.
dynamite drop in monty
Lol you mad bro
Jean Matrac
“…ppl like him are almost unheard of in sports doing that to a team…”
BS. How many players have under-performed because they got involved in drugs? A lot of guys have been accused of coasting after signing a big contract. Unlike guys like that hurt their teams through drug use, the RS had prior knowledge that could have protected their investment.
Sandoval has a psychological problem that compels him to eat. The RS were just plain stupid. I don’t give Sandoval a pass. He is not blameless in the slightest. But the RS bear as much of the blame, as him because they had a model for how to handle him based on what SF did, and just plain ignored it.
It appears you bear a personal dislike for Sandoval for whatever reason, but I think it’s clouding your objectivity.
pasha2k
The RS had misplayed faith in the wrong player.
pasha2k
There is no upside to Panda he’s a fraud n manipulator. I dunno how he sleeps at night knowing he swindled a team outta misplayed money n gave them broken belts n fraudulent infielder.
22jclark
He’s always performed well for the Giants. Make fun of his weight and all the money he “stole” from the Red Sox. Doesn’t change the fact that he does well for SF. His enthusiasm, energy, versatility and love for the game is what makes him a great fit in SF. A guy who can mentor the younger players and keep positivity in the clubhouse is valuable. This was a good move, imho.
dynamite drop in monty
He couldn’t win in Boston. Outrageous expectations, a bad fit, a team that just wanted to sell panda merchandise to feed the FSG behemoth. Got hurt, got booed. I felt bad for him.
pasha2k
Typical west coast baseball enthusiasm.
Redwolves3
Finally Zaidi got something right bringing Sandoval back. Panda wants to retire as a Giant.
Big glove502
dude, zaidi is doing pretty good if you ask informed Giants fans. signed a gold Glover on a minor league deal yesterday. good move. signed a fan favorite from Philly for peanuts to see what he’s got. good move. picked up 4 starting reclamation pitchers to find some trade pieces to improve the farm. good move. all I’m waiting on is an outfielder. there are still a couple cheap options that can put the ball in the seats at Oracle. and pillar may be the guy they go to. who cares who it is, they aren’t shooting for the playoffs. they’re building what could be another really good run.
Big glove502
after the newest Giants news, it’s like I’m in the war room talking about this stuff!! 😉
zauberman12
Retire as a Giant – right now.
zauberman12
Retire as a Giant – right now.
Vin Scully
I guess being obese and lazy is not a hindrance in life.
dynamite drop in monty
Guys a better athlete than you were at 18 you hateful, predicable pustule.
zauberman12
Pfft.
xtraflamy
essential or accidental?
Big glove502
Never stopped Fernando Valenzuela.
Frisco500
Welcome back Pablo!!
Melchez
$2 mil on a minor league deal? Wow
xtraflamy
you do get it that he only gets the 2MM if he makes the major league roster, right?
davemlaw
Sometimes you can go back home. Panda was the exception to the rule. He came back home and the fans welcomed him.
Non-Giant fans don’t understand how beloved this guy is in SF. But we get it.
Time to dust off the Panda hat!
Still don’t get it? The man has 3 Rings. Eat my Panda Express!
bravesfan
Ones got to wonder if his career could have been much different if he took better care of himself…
Jean Matrac
I have no doubt he would have. Had he stayed in SF, and remained on a weight regimen, or if the RS had copied the Giant’;s model for how to handle him, he maybe wouldn’t have been worth the $95MM, but I think he would not have been the disaster in Boston that he was.
Stevie E. B.
Trade him to Redsox for Price…
James1955
The Giants are rebuilding. The farm system is up to # 15 and they have 5 top 100 prospects. Some people are making a big deal out of nothing.
LosPobres1904
33? He looks 66!
scottn59c
You look 66!
twinky
He should pay the Giants to play.
BondsAway
So how would one define an “iffy” player. so if Mike Trout hits 220 this year management can just say this is an iffy year, we don’t have to pay him? It was no secret Pablo struggled with his weight & would sometimes come to Spring Training out of shape. Boston knew this & it didn’t work out. If a minor leaguer making $200k a year comes up & hits 30 bombs with 100+ RBI, can we call that a (whatever the opposite of iffy is) year & have the owners pony up $20 million that year?
pasha2k
A player with a weight problem. Sheesh
pasha2k
Panda could not bend over to do a ground ball that is more than outta shape.
uvmfiji
That Sox contract! They shouldve rehired Cherington and then immediately refired him.
julyn82001
Yay, the Panda is back…
Moneyballer
Oy, just CUT THE CHORD already. They’re like brokeback mountain.
Jean Matrac
Cut the cord refers to the umbilical cord. It has nothing to do with music.
Theghostoftycobb
This will put them over the top.
Watch out Dodgers.
norcal73
Might have a chance to stick now that they’re going to a 26 man roster. Who knows maybe he can make up for not getting the first pick by raking and getting traded for something of value… Go Panda!
Deleted Userrr
So even after Bochy and Bumgarner are gone and even when they can no longer get this guy for the league minimum and even when he is coming off of major surgery the Giants FO jacknuggetedly refuses to turn the page?
uncle mike
Why resign Pablo??????
Big glove502
It’s simple. If healthy, he was the best hitting utility infielder left on the market. And the red Sox fans that say he can’t bend over to field a ball, he played pretty well defensively last year. And yes, it is partly your fault he didn’t perform well. You didn’t think to have a nutritionist or a training program to get him to a good playing weight? That’s just stupid. What team just let’s a guy go for 90 mil instead of working to get him right?
washington_bonercats
This Giants rebuild is going to cause me to go into hibernation so I don’t have to see this malarkey