Pablo Sandoval DFA

nvalvo

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
21,484
Rogers Park
I think we keep forgetting what I see as the key context for the Sandoval signing.

2014 saw both a low point for offense, and a strike zone that was drifting downward. Sandoval's skills as a bad ball line drive hitter seemed like they would be rewarded in that climate. That wasn't a crazy idea.

But then the league changed the strike zone and goosed the ball. They didn't announce any of this, but it definitely happened. Cherington was responding to trends that weren't actually trends, which was, well, dumb. I'd want to be confident of these things before dropping $90m or whatever. But they weren't trends because of Manfred's more interventionist approach as Commissioner.

In the end, the move didn't work because Sandoval fell apart, skills-wise and health-wise. But some part of this saga is that Cherington was hung out to dry by the league.
 

MikeM

Member
SoSH Member
May 27, 2010
3,049
Florida
FanRag Sports MLB‏ @FanRagMLB 3h3 hours ago
Per @JonHeyman, #SFGiants hoping to bring back Pablo Sandoval today when he clears waivers. #Royals also interested

***

The Royals being interested would open Moose hunting season
I can't see it. The Royals are just 1.5 games out of their division, and Moss is still a better option at DH then Pablo.

I guess maybe though if they get killed over the week, and we end up doing both of us a favor by sweeping them next weekend.
 

Reggie's Racquet

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2009
7,235
Florida/Montana
I can't see it. The Royals are just 1.5 games out of their division, and Moss is still a better option at DH then Pablo.

I guess maybe though if they get killed over the week, and we end up doing both of us a favor by sweeping them next weekend.
But KC has dynamite and plentiful barbecue and that's the midwest equivalent of cupcakes.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Just not seeing the Royals interest in Sandoval, or how it would signal that they're punting despite being within two games of the division lead. They have internal options to replace Moustakas, if it comes to it, who have to be better than Sandoval. Unless they're afflicted with wecanfixhimitis.
 

Al Zarilla

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
58,878
San Andreas Fault
Just not seeing the Royals interest in Sandoval, or how it would signal that they're punting despite being within two games of the division lead. They have internal options to replace Moustakas, if it comes to it, who have to be better than Sandoval. Unless they're afflicted with wecanfixhimitis.
I would think that ship has sailed for all 30 clubs. He was benched all the way back to 2010 for sucking due to overweight. Insultingly enough, it was for the post season. He proved this year he can't field, throw, or hit any more. Still, maybe somebody thinks that a guy who will be 31 to open the 2018 season just can't be finished. Too young still. If some other team resurrects this guy, a year after Travis Shaw gets traded and hits kinda like a career average Adrian Gonzalez, then, £?!*%&! But, we still have 04, 07 and 13. In 03 it would have felt Grady Little bad.
 

Snodgrass'Muff

oppresses WARmongers
SoSH Member
Mar 11, 2008
27,644
Roanoke, VA
Just not seeing the Royals interest in Sandoval, or how it would signal that they're punting despite being within two games of the division lead. They have internal options to replace Moustakas, if it comes to it, who have to be better than Sandoval. Unless they're afflicted with wecanfixhimitis.
It was a joke. As in: The only way it would make sense to trot his broken ass out onto the field is if they were fully committed to losing as many games as they could while selling off every short term asset on the roster.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,725
In the game thread last night, there was talk of a contract that I actually wouldn't trade Sandoval's for: Albert Pujols.

I wonder if there are any other contracts out there that are so bad that you wouldn't trade Sandoval's for it. How much is still owed to Josh Hamilton?

I think the Mets still owe Bobby Bonilla another $18 million or so, but I would happily trade Sandoval's contract for that one, even though Bonilla has been retired for something like 5000 days now. The Mets obviously wouldn't do that trade though.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,725
Answering my own question: Josh Hamilton's contract ends this year, so he is only owed another $12 million or so, with the Angels paying most of it. So we wouldn't trade Sandoval's contract for Hamilton's either.

Looking into it more, I wouldn't trade Sandoval's contract for Homer Bailey's: Bailey's owed $19 million total for this year, so about $9 million more. Then he gets $21 million and $23 million the next two years, before getting a $5 million buyout. So that's $58 million more for a crappy pitcher.

So there are at least two contracts out there that I wouldn't swap Sandoval's for. Not that we could trade Pablo's contract at this point anyway, but it's kind of intersting to think about.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,731
You can throw Ellsbury in there, I think he has about $70M left through 2020.
 

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
16,725
I'd trade Sandoval's contract for Stanton's in a heartbeat. But Miami would ask for a lot of real value in return, and wouldn't have to eat Pablo's horrific deal.
 

Plympton91

bubble burster
SoSH Member
Oct 19, 2008
12,408
I'd trade Sandoval's contract for Stanton's in a heartbeat. But Miami would ask for a lot of real value in return, and wouldn't have to eat Pablo's horrific deal.
Yeah, I don't understand why people think that Stanton contract is so bad. $35 million a year is going to be the rate going forward for a player like that.
 

simplicio

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 11, 2012
4,729
The contact's fine right now. But the guy is huge, already has a significant injury history, is already bad defensively, will be playing 8 of the 10 remaining full years of the contract in his 30s, and will able to DH in none of them unless the league rules change.
 

jon abbey

Shanghai Warrior
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
70,731
Actually he is a terrible player currently, but FWIW, his arm is somehow better than it used to be, still not good but not embarrassing for a CF.
 

grimshaw

Member
SoSH Member
May 16, 2007
4,220
Portland
Jordan Zimmerman is making 24, 25 and 25 mill over the next 3 years. I wouldn't have traded Sandoval for him. He is already a guy I wouldn't want for mop up duty.
 

E5 Yaz

Transcends message boarding
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 25, 2002
90,020
Oregon
Actually he is a terrible player currently, but FWIW, his arm is somehow better than it used to be, still not good but not embarrassing for a CF.
So, you're saying he doesn't sweat too much for a fat guy?
 

streeter88

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 2, 2006
1,807
Melbourne, Australia
It's worse than that really. They have no other options. And he is replacing Brandon Belt, their leading hitter who has 18 HR this year, but unfortunately has suffered another concussion.
 

Sox Puppet

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 7, 2016
724
Not to bump this thread for any particular reason, but Panda was hitting cleanup again (!) for the Giants today. Needless to say, he was 0 for 5.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,277
The fact that Sandoval apologized to the giants but not the Red Sox is pretty tone deaf given the huge contract he signed here
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

has fancy plans, and pants to match
Dope
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
24,548
At the end of the day, I just never felt comfortable in Boston. It had nothing to do with the organization, or my teammates, or the fans, or the city. Everybody was great to me. I think it was just something that happens sometimes — you don’t feel comfortable somewhere, or you don’t fit in, even if you’re in a place you chose to be.
He sorta did.

But I mean, the bottom line is he left San Francisco because they put a weight clause in his contract and Boston didn't. That's the reason he left, IIRC the money was close to each other. I guess all he had to do was suck really bad for two years to come back to SF without a weight clause.

That is some strong Kung-Fu, Panda.