SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — As Pablo Sandoval prepared for an unlikely comeback last month, he blew up phones across the Giants organization. The man who ultimately made the decision to add Sandoval to the spring roster was no exception.
When asked why the Giants placed the 37-year-old on the non-invitee list, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi responded with a humorous response in a text sent to beat writers.
“We had to sign Pablo because the training videos he sent me were taking up all the space on my phone,” Zaidi said.
Sandoval really could be in the best shape of his life, and at the very least he's down significantly compared to most of his previous 1,149 games for the Giants. He moves well and has a good feel for his swing, and when he met with reporters Monday before the first full-squad practice, he said this wasn't a gimmick.
Sandoval hopes to make the team or at least prepare for another run somewhere in Major League Baseball. He knows it's a long shot, but his message to manager Bob Melvin was essentially, “Don't ever tell me the odds.”
“He doesn’t want to hear about his chances,” Melvin said. “He’s going to go out there and play and try to force us to do something.”
The Giants plan to send Sandoval reps to the corners this spring, and he spent most of his day Monday backing up JD Davis at third base. Between grounders, Sandoval exchanged laughs with shortstop Marco Luciano, but also offered some advice. The Giants hope he will be a mentor to their young Spanish-speaking talent, and fellow Venezuelan Luis Matos said he has received enthusiastic text messages from Sandoval in recent weeks.
Against all odds, it is Sandoval who is the last man standing from the 2014 squad, a few months before the Giants plan to honor that title team. His presence in the camp also means a few other little things.
Alex Cobb was pleased to learn he was no longer the oldest player in camp. Austin Slater ended up being the longest-tenured Giant for less than a week, a title he inherited from Brandon Crawford.
“It was a good run,” he said with a smile.
Cobb and Slater will definitely be in the squad during the season. There are no guarantees for Sandoval, but he's taking this opportunity seriously and the Giants had no problem bringing him in right away. Melvin, who has led three other organizations since he first faced Sandoval with the Arizona Diamondbacks, said he was all for it when Zaidi offered him the opportunity.
“He’s had a big impact on this team over the years,” Melvin said. “He's got an infectious personality, he's experienced, he's motivated and I think there's a lot that can rub off on some of our younger players as well.”
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