MLB Network insider Jon Heyman has tweeted that the Atlanta Braves are going to sign third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Breaking: Braves sign Pablo Sandoval. Minors deal. Will start at alternate site.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 14, 2020
It will reportedly be a minor league deal, and Sandoval is expected to report to the team’s alternate site in Gwinnett. He was released by the San Francisco Giants on September 10th. His departure comes after batting .220 with a home run, six RBI, 18 hits, a .546 OPS and a 52 OPS+ in 33 games. He had been a member of the Giants for most of his big league career.
Pablo Sandoval’s Big League Career
Sandoval began his tenure with San Francisco in 2008 and hit .345 in 41 games. The next few seasons would see him become a fan favorite. In 2009, he would hit .330 with 25 homers, 90 RBI, and 189 hits while posting a WAR of 4.3. He gained All-Star nods in 2011 and 2012, racking up a .299 average with 35 home runs, 133 RBI, 246 hits, 51 doubles, a .501 slugging average, an .851 OPS, and a 140 OPS+. In 2012, he earned World Series MVP honors, going 8-16 with three homers, four RBI, and a double. He only struck out twice in the series. Two years later, he would replicate some of the success against the Kansas City Royals. He went 12-28 with three doubles, four RBI with four strikeouts.
In November of 2014, he would sign with the Boston Red Sox. However, his numbers steadily declined in the American League. He only hit .245 in 2015, and a shoulder injury held him to just three games in ’16. It would also be the first time in his big league career that he did not record at least one hit in a season. He returned to the Giants midway through 2017, but posted a .220 average between the two teams overall. Since 2018, Sandoval has shown a bit of a return to form, compiling a .253 average with 24 home runs, 87 RBI, 148 hits, 34 doubles, an OPS of .745 and an OPS+ of 100.
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