Giants tried hard (even in spring) to keep Panda; he sought fresh start
Pablo Sandoval and his agent both cited 'new challenges' as the main reason he left San Francisco, which tried harder than anyone really knew to keep him.
By
Jon Heyman
•
4 min read
Forever it seems, the word was that the Giants offered Pablo Sandoval $40 million on a three-year deal this spring. And while that's technically true, there's much more to the story.
The $40-million bid was actually nothing more than an informal suggestion made over breakfast, according to someone familiar with the talks, and not close to the final spring offer, which was for more years and considerably more money. The real bid came a bit later, when the Giants offered four guaranteed years on top of the $8.25 million he was to make in 2014, with a vesting option for a fifth year on the extension. Including '14, and assuming the option vested, that offer could have been worth $91.5 million in total.
That's a far cry from the $40-million story that was mostly urban myth.
Of course, Sandoval did even better via free agency, signing with the Red Sox for $95 million over five years. Including the $8.25 million he made in '14, that gives him a guaranteed $103.25 million for the six years -- nearly $12 million more than he would have made had he simply signed back in spring, but less than he ultimately could have had with the Giants.
San Francisco didn't come close to skimping, either before the season or after it. San Francisco stepped up this offseason, re-engaging Sandoval and his agents Gustavo Vazquez and brother Michael Sandoval shortly after the World Series. And this time the Giants offered the same $95 million over five years with a willingness to go up a bit more, if necessary.
It didn't matter. Sandoval surprised folks by leaving the team he helped win three World Series rings in the last five years, a team that never really skimped on its offer, despite all the reports, including here, that over-emphasized the throw-away $40-million breakfast mention.
The Giants are a team that does a better job of keeping its stars than anyone else. And, as it turns out, they tried just as hard in this case. (The Padres also are believed to have offered a chance for more money, though they always seemed like a long shot.)
In the end, this was a rare free agent that didn't focus only on the green. He went where he wanted to go.
"Don't worry about the money," Vazquez said by text Wednesday to explain the surprise decision. "Pablo wanted new challenges."
There you have it. For all the posturing that's come out of this camp in the last 24 hours, that appears to be the key factor in the cross-country move. Though, there will always be room to wonder if there was more to it than that.
Oh, there could be some thoughts about new marketing opportunities on the opposite coast before another rabid fan base. People close to Sandoval have at times seemed focused on marketing the Panda, who can almost market himself with his physique, style, clutch performances and glorious nickname.
Others have speculated that perhaps Sandoval considers the East Coast more geographically desirable, even after playing his whole career in the Bay Area. He lives in Florida in wintertime, and he is said to have a daughter in Florida, as well. (Plus, Vazquez lives in South Florida.)
And maybe Red Sox icon David Ortiz helped sway him in the recruitment process. He is nothing if not persuasive.
It cannot be because the Giants disrespected him. Because they never did. Their offers were always in line with reality.
Whatever anyone says, the Giants always wanted Sandoval back. And they tried hard to keep him.
Sandoval issued a statement through his agents late Wednesday, thanking the Giants fans, and offering some insight into his thinking. The statement read, "I greatly appreciate the opportunity and privilege I had working for the past 12 years with the SF Giants organization. The decision to accept this new opportunity with the Boston Red Sox organization came from my own personal desire.
"It is a new challenge that requires great responsibility which will keep me motivated and passionate for the game that I love ... To my many fans in San Francisco: I will never forget our glorious memories together. I will always keep a special place for all of you in my heart. Thank you for your unconditional support throughout the years."
Giants fans loved him like almost no other for years but may be feeling a little jilted to see him go elsewhere -- for less money, no less. It's in a way refreshing to see a big-time free agent who didn't make the decision based on money, but it may also be just a little bit insulting, too.
The Giants themselves are left more than a little surprised the player who signed with him as a kid back in 2002 has left them, for a reason other than more money. But they have their theories, too. As one Giants person said, "Maybe here, he felt like he'd always be the 16-year-old Pablo."
