Pablo Sandoval was one of the most beloved players in the history of the Giants’ franchise…until he left.
Fresh off winning his third World Series with the club in 2014, the free agent Sandoval signed a four-year, $58 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, and burned a bridge in San Francisco upon his departure, saying he wouldn’t miss anyone except manager Bruce Bochy and outfielder Hunter Pence.
In a bizarre twist, Sandoval rejoined the club this weekend after flaming out in Boston, eliciting a mixed reaction from fans. We still don’t know exactly how AT&T will react when/if Sandoval makes an appearance with the big league club at some point this season, but broadcaster Mike Krukow assured Murph and Mac on Monday morning that there won’t be any issues with the Panda in the clubhouse.
“As far as the bridge that he burnt when walked out of here, I think he did pretty good damage control the way he addressed it immediately, the way he apologized,” Krukow said. “How he apologized. He apologized to the players, but the players don’t care. They’re over it. If he can help them win that’s all they look at.
“The Giants don’t really have much of a risk anymore, it’s not really costing them a whole bunch and what if Sandoval got back into the comfort zone to where he could be the player to where he was before. I think it’s worth a shot.”
Sandoval hasn’t been a productive major league player since his last year in San Francisco, playing just one full season since then in which he hit for a paltry .245 average. Krukow sees Sandoval’s return to the Bay as an opportunity for redemption.
“You’ll probably see him in the minor leagues until the first of August if indeed he earns the opportunity to come back up and he gives the club something,” Krukow said. “I mean he’s been one of the most popular players in Giants history, so I don’t see anything but a positive on this. If it doesn’t work out then what do you lose?
“I think he looks in pretty good shape. I mean that’s the first thing we look at. What’s his weight like, and I think his weight looks good, better than it ever did when he was wearing a Giants uniform. I think he grew up, I do. When you went through the mental hell that he went through — not being a good player in a city that doesn’t have a lot of patience for a player that they’ve given a lot of money too — it eats away at a player. So here’s his opportunity to redeem himself.”
Listen to the full interview below. He hear Krukow’s comments on skip to the 9:00 minute mark.