Report: Pablo Sandoval Agrees To Terms With Red Sox
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Red Sox have made another big splash this offseason.
Just hours after reportedly agreeing to terms with Hanley Ramirez, the Red Sox have signed free agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval to a five-year deal "close to $100 million," according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman.
UPDATE: WBZ-TV's Dan Roche has confirmed the deal, which is for five years and $95-million with a club option.
Sandoval, better known as "Kung Fu Panda," is a career .294 hitter with 106 home runs and 462 RBI over seven MLB seasons -- all with the San Francisco Giants. His best year came in 2011 when he hit .315 with 23 home runs, 70 RBI and a .552 slugging percentage.
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Where Sandoval separates himself from the rest of the pack is with his a clutch postseason performances, winning three World Series in his time with the Giants. In 39 playoff games, Sandoval sports a .344 batting average with six home runs and 20 RBI. He was named the MVP of the 2012 World Series after batting .500 (8-for-16) with three homers in San Francisco's four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers. In his three Fall Classic appearances, Sandoval has hit .426 with three homers and eight RBI.
Sandoval is also very durable despite his large stature (5-foot-11, 245 pounds), playing a career-high 157 games last season with a .279 batting average to go with 16 homers and 73 RBIs. Sandoval has averaged 124 games played over his career.
Aside from the numerous marketing opportunities he'll bring with the Panda nickname, Sandoval could be the perfect fit for Boston on the field.
He fills their immediate need at third base, provides a left-handed bat in the order (he's a switch hitter), and could eventually take over at DH whenever David Ortiz decides to step away from the game.
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