Pablo Sandoval

As a pending free agent coming off major surgery, Giants corner infielder Pablo Sandoval is heading into the offseason facing an especially uncertain future. If the 33-year-old gets his way, though, he’ll remain in San Francisco.

“Yeah, I want to be back,” Sandoval told John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I want to retire from this organization. I’d love to be back with my teammates. We had a lot of fun.”

This will be the second trip to the open market for Sandoval, who exited the Giants for the Red Sox’s huge offer in November 2014. Then fresh off his third World Series title as a Giant, the two-time All-Star landed a five-year, $95MM contract that ultimately couldn’t have worked out worse for the Red Sox. Not only did Sandoval’s production tank in Boston, but injuries kept him off the field on a regular basis. The Red Sox deemed Sandoval a sunk cost in July 2017, releasing him with just under $50MM left on his deal. He’ll finally be off their books going into next season.

Sandoval didn’t look like a realistic bounce-back candidate when the Red Sox cut ties with him. However, he has served as a useful role player in his second act as a Giant. The Kung Fu Panda has batted .259/.311/.466 (105 wRC+) with 23 home runs in 548 plate appearances dating back to the start of the 2018 season.

Despite his recent return to relevance in San Francisco, Sandoval’s journeying back to free agency at an inopportune time. He only took one at-bat from Aug. 10 forward because of a right elbow injury – one that forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery and a more minor arthroscopic procedure Sept. 5. To make matters worse, Sandoval revealed afterward that the doctors found more damage in his elbow than they’d anticipated. He’s now facing “lots of rehab,” as Shea writes. Nevertheless, whether with the Giants or another team, Sandoval aims to keep his career going in 2020.

Pablo Sandoval’s season officially came to an end, as the Giants announced that infielder underwent both Tommy John surgery and a more minor arthroscopic procedure yesterday to remove loose bodies from his right elbow.  Given the usual TJ recovery period for position players, Sandoval won’t be ready for the start of the 2020 season, though exactly how much time he’ll miss isn’t yet known.

Though Sandoval went on the injured list in mid-August and the Tommy John diagnosis has been known for a couple of weeks now, the Giants activated him on September 1 so the longtime fan favorite could get one final at-bat in front of the Oracle Park faithful.  It’s quite possible this could end up as the final appearance for Sandoval in the orange-and-black, though given that his injury recovery will certainly limit his free agent options, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sandoval re-sign with San Francisco sometime next year, once he has a clearer idea of when he’ll be back in action.

There’s certainly evidence that the 33-year-old can still be a productive player, as Sandoval is finishing up his best season in years.  The Kung Fu Panda hit .268/.313/.507 with 14 homers over 296 plate appearances, good for a 109 wRC+ that marks Sandoval’s first season of above-average run production since 2014.  He also capably handled spot duty at both corner infield spots, and even contributed a scoreless inning on the mound.

The Giants have activated third baseman Pablo Sandoval from the 10-day injured list, according to Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group. While the fan favorite will still undergo Tommy John surgery per doctors’ recommendation, activating Sandoval should offer him a final chance to end his Giants tenure (and his time under manager Bruce Bochy) by his own accord, likely receiving a final at-bat as a left-handed pinch-hitter.

While the move is essentially symbolic, it’s nonetheless surprising given that many had written off a potential swan song for the long-time Giants third baseman. Don’t expect Sandoval to contribute in a meaningful way, though Giants fans certainly won’t be opposed to giving him a proper send-off.

Sandoval ingratiated himself to the San Francisco faithful during the organization’s dynamic run of success from 2008-2014, a luxury that he didn’t share during his time in Boston, after a big-money contract backfired on the team. That culminated in his release in 2017, at which point he rejoined the club with which he signed as an amateur more than a decade ago. While there was no doubt that Sandoval was not the same in his second Giants tenure, he’s reversed his fortunes this year to regain the admiration of Giants fans. On a minimum salary for San Francisco, he’s posted a .823 OPS, his highest mark since 2012.

If the Kung Fu Panda does make his way into a September game at Oracle Park, it may be the last time he does so in his career. The 33-year-old is slated to reach free agency following the season, though the veteran may be resistant to a departure from San Francisco after his last attempt. Given that loyalty to the Giants and the immense pain that Sandoval has described, it would seem that retirement is not out of the question for Sandoval, though there has been no indication that he’s leaning that way.

The Giants have announced that third baseman Pablo Sandoval will undergo Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his season and clouding his availability for 2020. Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com further elucidates that Sandoval was evaluated by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Wednesday, who recommended surgery on the injured right elbow of the San Francisco fan favorite (link) The surgery will take place in the first week of September.

Sandoval was placed on the injured list on Aug. 14 with what was believed to be bone chips in his right elbow. Apparently, a further look from Dr. ElAttrache revealed the need for reconstruction of his UCL. This is certainly a most inauspicious end to the five-year, $95MM contract that Sandoval signed in 2015 with the Red Sox, although perhaps this news should be used as a chance to recognize Sandoval’s late resurgence with San Francisco, rather than another opportunity to rehash his tabloid-magnified struggles with Boston from 2015-2017.

While “Kung Fu Panda” was indeed one of the worst players in the bigs over that span, with -2.2 WAR amassed between ’15 and ’17, 2019 has offered the big-bodied third baseman an opportunity to provide at least passable production for the club that originally brought him to fame. His .269/.314/.509 (109 wRC+)  line, buttressed by 14 home runs and a personal-best .240 ISO in 295 trips to the plate, earned him consistent looks in manager Bruce Bochy’s lineup this year, as San Francisco fans were treated to what will likely be their last look at the World Series-winning alignment of Bochy, Madison Bumgarner, Sandoval, Joe Panik, and others.

Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval went to the injured list Aug. 14 with bone chips in his right elbow, which may prove to be a season-ending issue. There’s a “fair” chance Sandoval won’t return in 2019, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.

If Sandoval doesn’t come back this year, it’s possible we’ve seen the last of the fan favorite in a San Francisco uniform. The 33-year-old is set to become a free agent in the offseason, when the Red Sox are sure to pay him a $5MM buyout in lieu of a $17MM club option for 2020. Sandoval’s on the cusp of wrapping up the ill-fated deal he signed entering 2015 with Boston, which handed him a five-year, $95MM guarantee. His tenure with the Red Sox went so poorly that they paid him to go away in July 2017, but Sandoval was effective as a Giant before then and has again turned into a useful major leaguer since re-signing with the club shortly after returning to free agency two years.

While left-handed pitchers toyed with Sandoval in previous years, the Kung Fu Panda has offered respectable numbers against them and righties this season. As a result, Sandoval has put up an above-average line of .269/.314/.509 (109 wRC+) with 14 home runs and a personal-best .240 ISO in 295 trips to the plate. Statcast largely backs up Sandoval’s output, crediting him with a .338 expected weighted on-base average that aligns with a .342 real wOBA.

Along with providing the Giants quality work at the dish this season, Sandoval has logged 20-plus appearances at both third and first. There has been talk of outgoing manager Bruce Bochy giving the versatile Sandoval an opportunity to appear at every position in a game this season, but the chances of that occurring may be gone.