SAN FRANCISCO–Pablo Sandoval does not have to play winter ball.
He’s a 10-year Major League veteran, he’s owed $18 million by the Boston Red Sox in each of the next two seasons and he’s received regular at-bats from the San Francisco Giants since the first week of August.
But on Wednesday afternoon, Sandoval stood by his locker in the Giants’ clubhouse and said he believes playing during the offseason will help him prepare for Spring Training.
“Because I’ve missed a lot of playing time, so I can try to get my timing going,” Sandoval said, when asked why he’s considered winter ball. “I can keep playing to get ready for Spring Training.”
Sandoval is under contract with Magellanes, one of the premier clubs in the Venezuelan Winter League, but on Wednesday, Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy indicated Sandoval was exploring options with teams in the Mexican Pacific League.
“I think he’s (Sandoval) talked about playing some winter ball,” Bochy said. “I do, in fact, I think he’s leaning toward Mexico if he does it. He has missed some time, but this guy loves to play. We’ve talked about this, he loves playing the game and you know, he’s got plenty of money. He doesn’t need to play. But he wants to be better, he wants to get back to who he was, so I think he’s looking forward to maybe playing winter ball.”
After Wednesday’s game, Sandoval said that he would need Magellanes to approve his decision to play for another winter ball team, and for many players, that approval is hard to attain. Sandoval is a Venezuela native who’s spent parts of five different seasons playing in his home country’s league, but increasing violence throughout the region could keep many Major League players away from Venezuela this offseason.
Sandoval said Wednesday at this point, he’s only had preliminary discussions with teams in Mexico, but he strongly indicated that he’d love to put himself in better position to earn a spot on a Major League roster next season.
If it’s up to Sandoval, that opportunity would come with the Giants, who would only need to pay him the Major League minimum next season because Boston owes him the remaining money on his contract through the end of the 2018 season. In 38 games since being promoted from AAA Sacramento, Sandoval is hitting .212, but he indicated it’s imperative he finishes the season well because he’s attempting to prove he can be a serviceable piece for the Giants next year.
“You know what, I would love to stay here, I would love to spend time with this club,” Sandoval said. “I want to do everything I can to finish strong to get back here.”
Though Sandoval’s average dipped down to .174 after an 0-for-3 performance against Arizona on Saturday, three consecutive multi-hit games have helped him regain his comfort level at the plate.
“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Sandoval said. “I’m getting stronger and stronger every time that I step up to home plate and get at-bats right-handed. I’m getting more comfortable and I’ve been working hard to get everything the right way.”
Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that as Sandoval goes, so too do the Giants. For the first time since June 30, July 1 and July 2, the Giants have won three consecutive games, and Sandoval’s eight hits –including three extra base hits– have played a significant role in San Francisco’s recent hot stretch.
While it’s possible Sandoval’s recent 2-for-56 stretch is a better indication of where his skill set currently stands, he’s clearly motivated to improve and give himself every opportunity to prove a point heading into next spring.
“He’s (Sandoval) getting on track, you look at the way he’s swinging the bat now, he’s got his timing, he’s got his confidence,” Bochy said. “He’s done a good job at first, he’s done a good job at third base, you know, I like the way he’s swinging from both sides. He hit his first home run in three or four years and I think the rest served him well. I talked about how we threw him out there every game, every inning for awhile there but you know, he’s slowed things down at the plate and cut back some movement at the plate. He’s staying behind the ball, so I like where he’s at.”