The Boston Red Sox are rumored to be “all in” on a plan to land free-agent third-baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Sandoval was one of the main cogs on the San Francisco Giants World Series winning team and is widely viewed as “an ideal fit” for the Red Sox. To have any chance of landing the switch-hitting Sandoval, ESPN reports Boston will almost certainly have to beat out the Giants.
Revered among Giants fans as “The Kung Fu Panda,” Sandoval played in a career-high 157 games last season. The six-year veteran hit .279 with 16 homers and 73 RBIs. During the Giants 2014 post season run, he upped his batting average to .366 and drove in five runs.
The 28-year-old Sandoval is rumored to be seeking a deal in the neighborhood of six-years and up to $100 million. According to ESPN, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington recently met with Sandoval’s agent Gustavo Vazquez to further talk particulars.
“We’ve met with several [agents], including [Vazquez], and had good constructive conversations with a lot of guys already,” Cherington said. “All those conversations will continue. I don’t expect anything to happen this week, or maybe in the near term. This may play out. I expect many [conversations] to continue over the next few weeks.”
Sandoval’s best season came with the Giants in 2011 when he hit .315 with 23 homers and 70 RBIs.
[Photo Credit: Rob Shenk]