Report: Sandoval joining Giants camp in comeback attempt
The Kung Fu Panda is returning to San Francisco.
Former All-Star third baseman and World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval is a non-roster invitee in Giants camp, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
The 37-year-old's presence in camp doesn't seem to be ceremonial. Sandoval is apparently serious about making an MLB comeback and has made it known that he's feeling great, according to Pavlovic.
Sandoval hasn't played in the majors since 2021, where he spent 69 games with the Atlanta Braves primarily as a pinch-hitting specialist. He was traded to Cleveland for eventual Braves playoff hero Eddie Rosario in July of that year but was released without playing a game for the Guardians.
Sandoval spent the 2022 season in Mexico. He didn't play at all last year, save for a cameo in the Dubai-based Baseball United League this past fall.
While he could provide the Giants with additional depth as a switch-hitting corner infield and DH option, his odds of making the Opening Day roster are likely long. Wilmer Flores and LaMonte Wade Jr. will probably split time at first base, while Flores, J.D. Davis (who can also play first), and David Villar are already competing for time at third. His other competition includes fellow switch-hitting corner infielder Cooper Hummel as well as Yoshi Tsutsugo, another veteran non-roster invitee.
Sandoval is one of the franchise's more popular players from the dynastic 2010s. He was the starting third baseman for San Francisco's three World Series championship clubs and posted a .794 OPS with 135 home runs over 1,149 games across two separate stints with the Giants. He was named World Series MVP in 2012 after hitting .500 during the team's sweep of Detroit.
His stock fell sharply after he signed a five-year deal with the Boston Red Sox in 2015. Boston released him partway through the third year of the deal amid declining production and mounting controversies, after which he quickly returned to San Francisco for his second stint in black and orange.