The San Francisco Giants are bringing Pablo Sandoval to spring training as a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract, the team announced on February 19.
Nicknamed “Kung Fu Panda,” Sandoval was a fan favorite and key contributor to the Giants dynasty that spanned three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Sandoval was a two-time All Star and the 2012 World Series MVP.
Sandoval is trying to make an MLB comeback at age 37 having last played in 2021 with the Atlanta Braves. In 69 games with the Braves, he hit just .178 with a .645 OPS and 4 homers. But the Venezuelan native appears to have shown up to Giants camp in slimmer shape after he sometimes struggled with his weight during his earlier playing days.
“Sandoval was at Oracle Park last August for the Mike Murphy ceremony and was much slimmer than in his playing days, and he apparently has continued to work hard through the offseason,” wrote Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. “At the very least, he should bring another jolt of energy to the clubhouse this spring, and if he can hang around through March, he can play at Oracle Park one last time as [Sergio] Romo did last year.
Does Sandoval Have Anything Left in the Tank?
The Kung Fu Panda has bounced around leaves across Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Dubai since his last MLB game in 2021. His 2022 stint with Mexican professional team Olmecas de Tabasco was encouraging, as he hit .311/.396/.466 with 7 home runs and 24 RBIs across 43 games.
Sandoval has mostly played third base and first base throughout his career. The Giants expect to head into 2024 with Lamonte Wade and Wilmer Flores splitting time at first base. Options at third base include J.D. Davis, Casey Schmitt and David Villar.
Are the Giants Done Making a Big Offseason Splash?
Sandoval is not the first former World Series MVP to join the Giants this offseason. Jorge Soler, who won the award in 2021 with the Braves, inked a three-year, $42 million contract earlier this month. Soler brings a heavy power bat to the Giants—he hit 36 homers with Miami last season.
“It’s exciting,” manager Bob Melvin said of Soler, per MLB.com. “This is a guy that we’ve been talking about for a while. A legit 30-home run guy. He’s had success on big stages. You look at some of the hard-hit metrics, he’s top five it seems like every year. This is a guy that gets you real impact. As a manager, you always know where he is and when he’s coming up.”
Between Soler, Jung Hoo Lee (six years, $113 million), right-handed pitcher Jordan Hicks (four years, $44 million) and catcher Tom Murphy (two years, $8.25 million), the Giants have committed $207.25 million to free-agent additions this offseason. That is the second-highest total in the majors behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who spent over $1 billion on Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto alone.
However, the Giants may not be done adding to their roster. The club has been linked to free agent stars Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, and Matt Chapman. Via trade, the Giants have already bolstered their starting rotation by acquiring Robbie Ray from the Seattle Mariners in January.
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