MLB San Francisco Giants

Will Pablo Sandoval Re-Sign With San Francisco Giants?

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By @real_johnshea

Pablo Sandoval MLB Free Agency

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest decision facing San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean this offseason is not whether to re-sign Pablo Sandoval, but rather how much money the three-time World Champs are willing and able to dish out in order to secure a new deal for baseball’s most clutch postseason hitter. Re-signing Sandoval is a no-brainer for the Giants, especially fresh off another World Series title. So, why hasn’t it happened yet?

At this juncture of the offseason, the pace of free agency has yet to be established, as indicated by Giants assistant GM Bobby Evans in a recent interview with ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. But it’s not like the hot stove has been completely void of ignition. The Detroit Tigers faced a similar free agent situation concerning Victor Martinez, and promptly re-signed the veteran slugger to a four-year deal worth $68 million.

Martinez was widely regarded as one of the best pure hitters on the open market, motivating the Tigers’ front office brass to act quickly and decisively. Sabean and Co. have failed to respond with equal vigor to date, granting opportunity for other clubs to show interest, which could ultimately drive up Sandoval’s price point.

At the moment, the Giants and the Boston Red Sox are rumored to be the only two teams vying for Sandoval’s services, but that could soon change, particularly if the Miami Marlins are able to sign MVP runner-up Giancarlo Stanton to a gargantuan contract. The Marlins’ erratic spending habits are difficult to predict, but if Stanton signs a mega-deal eclipsing $300 million, the fish will cement themselves as spenders, at least in the short-term.

The fair-weather Florida market will prompt the Marlins to target additional name brand players like Sandoval. On the surface, that scenario might seem far-fetched, given that Miami would be a presumable downgrade from San Francisco for the “Kung Fu Panda,” but consider that owner Jeffrey Loria enabled a whopping $44 million spike in payroll when Marlins Park opened in 2012. History could very well repeat itself.

The Marlins are merely one example, but the fact remains, the chances of the Giants re-signing Sandoval are seemingly decreasing by the day. At the start of free agency, it was rumored that Sandoval sought a deal in the ballpark of six years for a total of roughly $100 million. For whatever reason, the Giants seem to be penny-pinching, perhaps because of long-term concern over Sandoval’s well-known weight issues, and the fact that his OPS has declined in every season since 2011.

The price tag on the “Panda” doesn’t figure to decrease over time, though. The exact antithesis of that is much more likely to occur. The Giants are leaving open the possibility for a bidding war. But they’ve already indicated they have zero interest overpaying to retain their cleanup hitter, meaning that it’s likely for Sandoval to sign elsewhere.

John Shea is an MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @real_johnshea. Like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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