It was clear to anyone who was paying attention, but Pablo Sandoval has admitted in a recent interview that deciding to sign with the Boston Red Sox in 2014 was a mistake.
“I should have stayed. I know. I learned my lesson,” Sandoval said in GQ. “But I’m happy I went through it, man, because I kept my eyes open and learned a lot of things.
“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’s tenure in Boston was a disaster in more ways than one. First, he alienated the Giants and their fans by saying the only people he missed were Bruce Bochy and Hunter Pence. He also said that Brian Sabean didn’t respect his agent.
Then there was what happened on the diamond. Despite signing a five-year, $90 million deal with the Sox after winning a World Series MVP, Sandoval lasted just two-and-a-half seasons on the East Coast. He slashed just .237/.286/.360 in 161 games, never making an All-Star team.
Sandoval eventually returned to SF, apologized and was quickly forgiven. Still, it’s hard not to think how his career and legacy might have been different had he decided to stay in the Bay when his stock was at its highest.
Sandoval is still playing baseball, currently featuring for Mexican club Olmecas de Tabasco.