It seems the Red Sox have wasted no time this offseason, as two big bats are apparently on the way to Boston.
Pablo Sandoval told his former team, the San Francisco Giants, that he would join the Red Sox, according to Comcast SportsNet Bay Area.
A deal with shortstop Hanley Ramirez, meanwhile, is expected to be announced, as well. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports tweeted Monday that an agreement had been reached pending a physical.
Late Sunday night, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported that Ramirez would travel to Boston Monday to finalize a deal. Initially reported to be worth $90 million over five years, Rosenthal tweeted Monday that it was a four-year deal worth $88 million with a vesting option for a fifth year at another $22 million.
Red Sox writer Ian Browne of MLB.com reports that Sandoval will be unveiled at a press conference Tuesday. He adds that Ramirez is likely to be unveiled Tuesday, too.
The shortstop started his career with the Red Sox before being traded to the Miami Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, both of whom were major factors in the team's 2007 World Series run.
Sandoval had been weighing offers from his former club as well as the Red Sox and San Diego Padres.
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Heyman reports that Sandoval, also known as Kung Fu Panda, will earn close to $100 million over five years.
The Giants, with whom Sandoval has spent his entire career, released the following statement:
We ❤️�� - Wishing you nothing but the best pic.twitter.com/TPnkygz4om — World Champs (@SFGiants) November 24, 2014
Ramirez and Sandoval represent a potentially major offensive boost for Boston, but both come with question marks.
The shortstop, who just played two and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers and turns 31 in December, batted .283/.369/.448 with 13 homers last season, but was an MVP candidate just a year earlier, batting .345/.402/.638 with 20 homers. He is a career .300 hitter with an OPS of .873.
Sandoval, meanwhile, hits free agency at the young age of 28. He batted .279/.324/.415 last year, hitting 16 home runs. He made two All-Star teams as a member of the Giants and has a career line of .294/.346/.465.
Ramirez has a history of health problems, appearing in just 86 games during his excellent 2013 campaign and 92 back in 2011. While young and known as a solid defender, has had ongoing weight issues. He is listed at 245 pounds, but his weight has fluctuated throughout his time in the big leagues.
A move to the American League could benefit Sandoval, as he could ultimately play as a designated hitter, eventually replacing 39-year-old David Ortiz.
The Red Sox adding both players is surprising and their intentions are not entirely clear. The team was in need of a third baseman, with Will Middlebrooks hitting below the Mendoza line last year with an abysmal .191/.256/.265 line last season. But shortstop Xander Bogaerts was one of the top prospects in baseball going into his rookie season last year.
In addition to creating an infield logjam, the signings are surprising because the team's greatest need is its starting rotation. Boston traded away Jon Lester, John Lackey and Jake Peavy before the trade deadline, and Clay Buchholz has been wildly inconsistent.
Lester, now a free agent after a brief tenure with the Oakland Athletics, has been in talks to return to Boston. But Heyman and Rosenthal both report that that the Giants, on the verge of losing Sandoval, are now showing interest in the lefty.
Should the Sox finalize deals with both hitters, they have a few options to solve the logjam. They could play Ramirez in the outfield and trade a player like Yoenis Cespedes or Shane Victorino. Bogaerts, while a superior defender to Ramirez, could also move to the outfield. They could play Ramirez at third base and Sandoval at first if they trade Mike Napoli.
Additionally, they could deal Bogaerts, though Boston is highly unlikely to move the young stud unless the return is heavy.
As Comcast SportsNet New England's Sean McAdam notes, adding both players will make the Sox' offense "lethal." In one projected 2015 lineup, McAdam did not include Cespedes, Victorino or Allen Craig, a testament to the depth, particularly in the outfield if Ramirez is moved out of the infield.
Late Monday night, Red Sox officials announced they will hold a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. Stay with NECN as this story develops.
