Pablo Sandoval seemed to enjoy his time with the Red Sox as much as fans liked watching him play.
That is to say, he wishes he never signed here.
Papelbon unleashed
In a recent interview with GQ’s Joseph Bien-Kahn, Sandoval, who now plays for the Olmecas de Tabasco of the Mexican League, expresses his regret for signing with the Red Sox over the Giants in free agency.
“I should have stayed. I know. I learned my lesson,” he said. “But I’m happy I went through it, man, because I kept my eyes open and learned a lot of things.”
Sandoval inked a five-year, $90 million deal with the Red Sox in 2014, and was absolutely awful. He slashed .245/.292/.366 with 10 home runs over 126 games in 2015, and then played in just 35 games in his final two seasons before the Red Sox released him.
Though Sandoval always struggled with his weight, his physique ballooned in Boston, and it impacted his play. His struggles and high salary made him an easy target for Red Sox fans exasperated over two straight last-place finishes in 2014 and 2015.
“We make mistakes. We can make errors. And you know, it’s part of the game,” Sandoval said. “But fans don’t realize that we are human beings. We got lifestyle. We have problems, too. We have off-the-field things. And they don’t understand that.”
Sandoval was a lynchpin of the Giants’ mini-dynasty, starting at third base for their three World Series teams from 2010-14. He was an exciting and unorthodox player with a penchant for performing in the clutch.
From 2009-14, Sandoval averaged 17 home runs per season with an .804 OPS.
Sandoval’s well-rounded skillset and outsized “Kung Fu Panda” persona made him an attractive target for the Red Sox, who also signed Hanley Ramirez in 2014 to provide them with more star power.
Though Sandoval says he wishes he stayed in San Francisco, it’s apparent his skills had eroded by the time he arrived in Boston.
He slashed .244/.307/.426 in your seasons with the Giants and Braves after leaving the Red Sox. Now at 35 years old, he’s playing below the border.