MLB San Francisco Giants

Re-Signing Pablo Sandoval Should Be San Francisco Giants’ Top Offseason Priority

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By @nick_villano

Pablo Sandoval

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco Giants are coming off their third World Series win in five years. They rode one of the most exciting runs in recent history to their eighth championship in their history. Now that they are in the offseason, they need to figure out what moves they can make so they can repeat as champions.

The Giants have followed their last two title runs with seasons that left much to be desired. They missed the playoffs in both 2011 and 2013, and they could be in the same position next year as well.

The payroll situation in San Francisco is not great. Despite some big contracts coming off the books, the Giants are still at over $127 million total salary. They don’t have much wiggle room to bring on significant salary. There are still moves to be made this offseason, and one of them has to do with bringing back a fan favorite.

Pablo Sandoval should be the Giants’ biggest priority this offseason. He is the heart and soul of this team. Every time the playoffs roll around, he is the man who carries them.

In three postseasons, Sandoval has a .935 OPS. That is compared to his .811 career regular-season OPS. He clearly turns it one when it matters most.

Sandoval plays a position that is seriously lacking in the major leagues. Of the top 25 players in OPS in all of baseball, one plays third base (Adrian Beltre). The lack of talent at the position is going to make Sandoval come at a hefty price, but that shouldn’t make the Giants hesitate.

Sandoval not only performs on the field, but he makes the team a ton of money off of it. He is no doubt the team’s most popular player. His nickname, Kung Fu Panda, is one of the best and most marketable in the league. The amount of T-shirt and jersey sale revenue is one small reason to bring him back to the Bay Area.

The rumor mill says that a five-year, $80-90 million deal is what Sandoval is looking for. That seems like a lot of money to some, but that would put him around $16 million per season. To only be on the hook for that until he is 33 years old would be a win-win for both parties — especially with how often teams are giving ridiculous contracts to keep players in house.

The Giants need to find a way to keep Sandoval away from the Boston Red Sox. If the rumored asking price is true, the Giants should jump on that now. It isn’t outrageous like some who have come on the market recently. There are many teams that would jump at the chance to pay that price for a premium third baseman who gets better in the postseason. The Giants should bring him back to see how many more titles the team can win on this run.

Nick Villano is the New Jersey Devils writer for Rant Sports.  He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content.  You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.

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