Pablo Sandoval of the United East All-Stars is introduced prior to the Baseball United Showcase at Dubai International Stadium on November 24, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Adam Nurkiewicz/Getty Images for Baseball United)
Three-time World Series champion infielder Pablo Sandoval signed a minor league contract to return to the San Francisco Giants on February 17, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reported.
Pavolic stated that Sandoval arrived at Giants camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sunday and will be in spring training as a non-roster invitee.
Sandoval, 37, was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and played 14 seasons in MLB with the Giants from 2008-14 and 2017-20, the Boston Red Sox from 2015-17, and the Atlanta Braves from 2020-21.
The switch-hitter helped the Giants win their first three World Series championships in San Francisco in 2010, 2012 and 2014 after moving to the west coast in 1958.
During Sandoval’s major league career, he was a two-time All-Star in 2011 and 2012 and won the World Series MVP in 2012 during the franchise’s second championship in San Francisco.
Sandoval played in the two-game Baseball United Showcase at Dubai International Stadium, which was held during the last weekend of November 2023. Sandoval played with the BU-East All-Stars and hit the first “moneyball” home run in baseball history during the second game of the Baseball United Showcase.
Sandoval was drafted by the Abu Dhabi Falcons in the first Baseball United Draft on October 23.
Sandoval has not played professionally since he played for the Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente in Puerto Rico during 2022-23.
Sandoval played in 20 games during the 2022-23 winter season and hit .211 with 12 hits, two doubles, four RBI, two walks, and struck out 11 times in Puerto Rico.
Sandoval was released by the Olmecas de Tabasco in Liga Mexicana de Béisbol on Jan. 19, 2023 after playing with the organization for half of the 2022 regular season.
During the 2022 season, Sandoval started with Acereros de Monclova in his first season in the LMB. He played in 28 games and batted .240 with 25 hits, three doubles, three home runs, 18 RBI, 10 walks, and eight strikeouts.
Sandoval joined the Olmecas de Tabasco on May 27, 2022, and played in 43 games, hitting .311 over 169 plate appearances with 46 hits, two doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBI, 17 walks, and 33 strikeouts, helping the organization finish in second place reach the 2022 Zona del Sur playoffs with a 47-37 record. The Olmecas de Tabasco lost in the first round in five games to the fifth-seeded Tigres de Quintana Roo during the 2022 LMB playoffs.
In the 2021-22 Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional season, Sandoval played in 28 games with Navegantes del Magallanes, batting .314 with 33 hits, 11 doubles, one home run, 19 RBI, 12 walks, and eight strikeouts, helping the organization win their 13th championship title including a berth in the Caribbean Series.
Sandoval played in the 2022 Caribbean Series at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Republic, and in six games, he batted .333, smacking eight hits, two doubles, one home run, two RBI, two walks, and two strikeouts during the tournament.
He last played in MLB in 2021 with Atlanta, and batted .178 in 69 games, making 86 plate appearances with 13 hits, four home runs, 11 RBI, 11 walks, 25 strikeouts, and a .645 OPS before he was placed on the restricted list by the Braves on July 8, 2021.
On July 30, 2021 the Cleveland Indians traded Eddie Rosario to Atlanta for Sandoval, which included cash considerations. Sandoval was released by Cleveland on the same day he was traded there and did not play the rest of the 2021 season.
During Sandoval’s 14 seasons in MLB, he has played in 1,380 games with a career average of .278 over 5,052 plate appearances, recording 1,279 hits, 262 doubles, 21 triples, 153 home runs, 639 RBI, 12 stolen bases, 357 walks, 757 strikeouts, and a .773 OPS.
Sandoval will compete for a spot in the San Francisco Lineup during spring training with Wilmer Flores and J.D. Davis for a designated hitter role prior to the start of camp. His play in the field has been limited during his most recent seasons in Major League Baseball, with occasional appearances at the corner infield positions.
The Giants will play their first game of spring training on Feb. 24 against the Chicago Cubs at home at 3:05 p.m. EST at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Giants first full squad workout is on Feb. 20.
