Once a ballyhooed free
agent signing, Pablo
Sandoval’s 2016 season with the Boston Red Sox ended after a total of three
games and an unacceptable number of trips to the dinner plate. Plagued
with shoulder issues and an alarming weight gain, the third baseman barely made
it on the field to try and follow up on a miserable 2015 campaign that was his
first with the team. Now noticeably
slimmer and reportedly healthy, his bid for a comeback is being aided by
his team, which has put him in the best possible position to succeed.
The professional athlete reporting to training camp in “the
best shape of their life” is a sports trope as old as time. Having paid fewer
dividends than a Ponzi scheme during his first two years in Boston, it will be
no small task for Sandoval to earn back even a little bit of the fans’ trust
and respect. The biggest difference this year besides his newfound health and
ability to see his toes without bending over is the way that the spotlight has
significantly shifted off him. An offseason trade
that netted left-handed ace Chris Sale
gave Boston three legitimate Cy Young candidates for their rotation and made
them early World Series favorites. Winning has amazing therapeutic powers, so
as long as Boston is piling up tally marks in the left-hand column of the
standings even continued transgressions should be regarded more lightly than in
the past.
Despite the enormity of Sandoval’s contract, the Red Sox
also don’t necessarily need to lean on him as a lynchpin for their offense.
With young stars like Mookie Betts,
Xander
Bogaerts and Andrew
Benintendi, simply getting passable results from the erstwhile doughy third
baseman would be a major coup and likely keep the naysayers at bay for the time
being. Additional good news is that after hitting just .245 with 10 home runs
in his only full season with Boston, it won’t take a Herculean effort to best
that in 2017.
Despite there still being three years remaining on
Sandoval’s contract, the fact that there is already a highly-touted
heir-in-waiting lurking in the wings makes waiting to see what the veteran can
do more palatable. Rafael
Devers is just 20 and widely regarded as a potential future star. Although
he has made steady progress through the minors he is still at least a year or
two away. Nothing is ever guaranteed with young players but his anticipated
impact provides a nice cushion for the dazed incumbent.
The disappointment that Sandoval has created since coming to
Boston can’t be discounted. Then again neither can the possibility that the
proper motivation (which one might cautiously say he has) and right setting
(the Red Sox are a talented team poised for a successful season) might
jumpstart the career of a player who is a two time All Start who has started
for three World Series winners. Much like Stella, Kung Fu Panda just needs to
get his groove back. Boston fans have been burned before and will likely not be
played for fools again. However, the tough hand he largely dealt himself could
be a lot worse if not for the extremely favorable position the team has him in
as they embark on a new season.
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Good stuff!
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