Pablo Sandoval is officially back with the Giants.
But whether or not Sandoval will ever return to the San Francisco Giants is a different story.
The player fans affectionately referred to as “The Panda,” enjoyed tremendous success for the orange and black, hitting .294 with 106 home runs and 462 runs driven in during a seven-year stint in San Francisco. A two-time All-Star and a three-time World Series champion, Sandoval will eventually earn a spot on the Wall of Fame adorning AT&T Park for his contributions to the most successful era in the organization’s proud history.
“Why here?” Sandoval said, when asked about his decision to return Saturday morning. “Five years, three rings. Three World Series. Dynasty. Chemistry. The fan support. What else? Team, manager, teammates. Everything, you know. It’s what I came for.
When Sandoval was at his best, so too were the Giants, as he ripped apart Detroit Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander en route to a three-home run effort in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series. After reaching base nine times in 17 plate appearances, Sandoval claimed the World Series MVP, helping his fame escalate to an all-time high.
Five seasons later, Sandoval has reached an agreement with the Giants to return to the organization on a Minor League contract, where he’ll attempt to work his way back to San Francisco. Though he’ll compete just 60 minutes south in San Jose and then travel 90 minutes up the road to compete with AAA Sacramento, Sandoval’s journey back to the Bay Area might be more arduous than traveling down I-80 at rush hour.
Though the days of Sandoval playing at a high level appear to be in the past, the Giants have committed to a reclamation project of sorts, allowing a player who once captivated the fan base to attempt to earn back the trust of teammates and San Francisco’s management in the hopes that he’ll enjoy future glory.
Since Sandoval left San Francisco at the end of the 2014 season, he’s struggled through a precipitous decline. After inking a five-year, $95 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, Sandoval proceeded to regress in remarkable fashion. In his first year on the East Coast, Sandoval hit just .245 and clubbed 10 home runs for an underwhelmed Red Sox team. The following season, Sandoval played in three games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. Then, for his final act, Sandoval’s average dipped to .212 this season before Boston ultimately decided to cut ties.
On July 14, Boston announced it was designating Sandoval for assignment, ending an era that began with high expectations and ended with a stunning downfall. Five days later, after word spread that Sandoval would refuse an assignment to AAA Pawtucket, the Red Sox released the third baseman, and speculation immediately spread surrounding San Francisco’s interest.
The day Sandoval was released, I went on The Ted Ramey show on KNBR 1050 and offered my thoughts on whether the Sandoval-to-San Francisco rumors might have some life.
“I don’t think the Giants want that headache,” is what I said.
Even though Sandoval is now back in the organization, I stand by my original statement.
Why –in a season like the one the Giants are enduring– would San Francisco have interest in such a dramatic project? Sandoval’s exit from San Francisco carried the drama of a high-stakes political race, and the Giants have already suffered through their most miserable season in 30 years, perhaps longer.
But on Thursday afternoon, veterans like Hunter Pence, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt offered their support for adding a player, any player for that matter, who can help the team win.
“He’s (Sandoval) always been one of those personalities that kind of fits in with the Giants and the Bay Area,” Pence said. “I know there’s been all sorts of stuff. I haven’t listened or heard all of it, but I’ve always enjoyed Pablo. I’m very grateful for the times that we played together and the remarkable things he’s done in clutch situations.”
Quite literally, the Giants have nothing to lose by adding Sandoval. The Red Sox are paying his salary, they don’t have to guarantee him a Major League opportunity, and there’s a chance to rebuild good will with one of the defining faces of the Giants’ most successful era.
“Well it’s pretty much, I think you look at it as a free look at a player who’s done some good things in this game,” Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said. “Has some talent to hit a baseball and you know, he got off with his game there in Boston and it happens and sometimes a change of scenery can get a player back to being a player that he is and he was pretty good here.
I’ll also admit that in the short term, signing Sandoval does make some sense. San Francisco might flip third baseman Eduardo Nunez at the trade deadline, Conor Gillaspie isn’t considered an everyday player at this point, and the Giants did just option Jae-gyun Hwang to AAA. If the Giants need a third baseman after the trade deadline, sure, Sandoval is in fact a third baseman. He fits that qualification.
But San Francisco’s management –whether it be CEO Larry Baer or general manager Bobby Evans– has appeared on KNBR in recent weeks and said the Giants are always looking for ways to get younger and more athletic. In 2018, the Giants will have a younger, more athletic player ready to man third base, and his name is Christian Arroyo.
Though San Francisco did option Arroyo to AAA after an early season call-up, and Arroyo did suffer a significant hand injury that required surgery, the Giants are still extremely excited about the future at third base.
Furthermore, if Arroyo doesn’t pan out, another prospect the Giants have already served a cup of coffee to, Ryder Jones, looked ever-promising during the first half of the season with Sacramento. And yes, Jones qualifies as younger, more athletic and at this point, more promising than Sandoval.
The counter-point to this is that if Sandoval recaptures his magic, you can never have enough assets. That point, I concede. But here’s a thought: If the Giants are trading Nunez to open up a path for Arroyo or Jones to take over at third base in 2018, why would they feel better about Sandoval seizing the job than Nunez? Why shed Nunez when the 31-year-old has demonstrated he can still play at a near-All-Star level and is willing to play in a super utility role to remain in San Francisco?
Thanks to a shoddy hamstring, Nunez will no longer command a significant return on the trade market, so trading him would require the Giants to commit to a deal in which they would take a lesser asset, or assets, than they once hoped to receive. Maybe they will trade him, maybe they won’t. But Sandoval’s presence at AAA shouldn’t change their thought process. Nunez can get the job done.
Throughout the Giants’ downturn, they’ve reiterated the message that the organization doesn’t feel it’s far off from contending. Evans admitted, “You may have to tear down a wall or two,” but don’t expect San Francisco to pull up the foundation. If Nunez is the right wall to bulldoze, I can picture Evans channeling his inner Ronald Reagan: “Mr. Sandoval, tear down that wall!”
While the Giants are keeping the faith, in reality, they’re 24 games under .500, and they’ve just signed a player who hit .212 in 32 games this season. Maybe Sandoval will go to AAA, tear the cover off the ball, reclaim a starting spot with the Major League club and lead the Giants to the playoffs in 2018. Perhaps Sandoval will be so good the Giants can use Arroyo in a deadline deal in 2018 to pick up a pitcher for next year’s stretch run.
But for a team that just spent the last week dealing with hypotheticals –Is The Panda coming back? Is he welcome back?– it doesn’t make sense to open up Pandora’s box.
If San Francisco believes in Nunez, Arroyo, and or Jones, there’s no reason to toss those players to the side in hopes Sandoval regains his edge.
The Giants’ organization is fiercely loyal to its stars of yesterday, and for good reason. Sandoval was a great Giant, for both parties, perhaps the next time fans should break out the Panda hats at AT&T Park is the day Sandoval’s Wall of Fame plaque is unveiled on King Street.
On Saturday, Bochy said the Giants will give Sandoval 40-to-50 at-bats in the Minor Leagues to make a case that he can help the big league club. But in a season in which the Giants should be turning their attention to building for the future, relying on a star of the past is just puzzling.
