This came completely out of left field. According to CBS Sports’ baseball insider Jon Heyman, the San Diego Padres have joined four other teams in the conversation for prized San Francisco Giants free agent Pablo Sandoval.
San Diego is said to be listening to offers for Ian Kennedy and Tyson Ross on the trade market, which makes its interest in Sandoval that much more surprising. While San Diego has an entirely new front office structure in place right now, it makes little sense that the continual NL West bottom feeder would dole out the big bucks to sign a veteran player like Sandoval. It makes even less sense that Sandoval would want to move to Southern California for a lesser team.
Joining the Padres and Giants in the conversation for Sandoval are the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox. The former World Series hero is set to meet with the powers to be in Boston later this week.
Sandoval hit .279 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI this year. He did, however, step up big time in October as the Giants earned their third World Series championship in five seasons.
Photo: USA Today