The San Francisco Giants have signed veteran infielder Pablo Sandoval to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He had two previous stints with the Giants in his 13-year Major League Baseball career.
The Venezuelan made his MLB debut with the Giants in 2008 and played in the Bay Area until 2014. During that stretch, he won three World Series titles with the Giants and was hailed the 2012 World Series Most Valuable Player. Sandoval also became a two-time MLB All-Star in his first tenure with the Giants.
After seven seasons with the Giants, Sandoval signed a five-year, $90 million deal to play for the Boston Red Sox. However, he lasted with the team for only three seasons after getting designated for reassignment on July 14, 2017. The Red Sox released him five days later.
It didn’t take long before the Giants re-signed him to a minor league contract. He played 12 games in the minors before returning to the majors in August 2017. Sandoval lasted four seasons in his second stint with the Giants.
The following season, he joined the Atlanta Braves on a minor league deal but made the MLB roster. He played during the 2021 regular season for the Braves and received a World Series ring even if he wasn’t on the team anymore. The Braves traded him to the Cleveland Guardians for Eddie Rosario and cash considerations.
Before returning to the Giants, Sandoval played for the Acereros de Monclova and the Olmecas de Tabasco in the Mexican League.
Pablo Sandoval has a .278 career batting average in 1,380 MLB games. He has 1,279 hits, 639 runs batted in, and 153 home runs throughout his career in the majors.
-Lance Fernandez