SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – When Pablo Sandoval visited Oracle Park for Mike Murphy's Wall of Fame ceremony last August, he held court with reporters and Giants officials during batting practice. At one point, Sandoval was told that he looked like he was in the best shape of his life. He started laughing.
“There is no stress,” he explained. “I don’t have to worry about being eliminated anymore.”
Six months later, Sandoval invites that stress back into his life. And he's excited to do it.
Sandoval officially joined Giants camp Monday morning, the first full roster day at Scottsdale Stadium. He's in camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league deal, but he was clear this isn't a Sergio Romo situation. Sandoval is not here for his farewell appearance during the Bay Bridge Series and said Monday that he is not considering retirement.
“I came here to fight for a place,” he said.
Right now, the Giants don't have one. Sandoval, a longtime switch-hitter, only bats left-handed and appears to be limited to first base and DH, although he is much leaner than when he played third base regularly.
The Giants have LaMonte Wade Jr. as the starter and Wilmer Flores should get most of his at-bats initially. There are others, including Blake Sabol, who could find themselves in the backup mix initially. Jorge Soler will be the everyday DH.
Sandoval said he's open to whatever the Giants need, and he hinted he might be willing to accept a job at Triple-A Sacramento if that's his only option in late March. It's also possible that Sandoval attracts the attention of another team that has an easier path to the big leagues.
These are details for the next six weeks. On Monday, Sandoval simply made it clear that he was not ready to give up on the matter. He has always loved batting and still wants to do it.
“It is great. It is great. I really missed the time when I was outside,” he said. “If you love baseball and the only thing you do is this, you’re going to miss it when you’re outside.”
It has been three years since Sandoval played in the major leagues, and during his last stint with the Atlanta Braves he only had an OPS of .645. Since then, Sandoval has played in Mexico and Dubai, the latter of which stemmed in part from a conversation Sandoval had shortly before his visit to Oracle Park.
Liam Sandoval is now eight years old and is falling in love with the game like his father once did. The pair were in turmoil last August when Liam told his dad that it looked like he could still play. As the games in Dubai went well with other former top players, the elder Sandoval also started to really believe.
“I came back (to Florida) and took it more seriously,” he said.
Sandoval made it clear to the Giants staff that he wanted to attempt a comeback. This led to a risk-free trial and certainly brought some life into a young clubhouse.
You often hear Sandoval before you see him, and by adding Soler and Sandoval on consecutive days, the Giants definitely have a more energetic group. This could pay off even if the spring comeback fails on the field. Sandoval said he intends to mentor young hitters like Marco Luciano and Luis Matos, a fellow Venezuelan who watched the panda as a child.
At 37, Sandoval is closer to the coaching staff than most players. He actually played with one of the coaches and won a title in 2010 with new hitting coach Pat Burrell. When asked if he would like to coach himself one day, Sandoval smiled and said he is still focused on hitting and attempting a comeback, which would be very unlikely.
The Giants have seen Sandoval play once before, having brought him back for a successful run in 2017 after his decision to leave for Boston as a free agent didn't work out. Seven years later and 18 years after his first appearance at Scottsdale Stadium, Sandoval is ready to try again.
“It will not be easy. It’s a big challenge,” he said. “I’ve experienced this before, but this one will be even more special.”
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