The San Francisco Giants were a force in the early 2010s.
They had Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and Brandon Crawford all in their prime or close to it, with multiple complementary pieces and a top manager in Bruce Bochy.
They won three World Series in a span of five years, from 2010 to 2014.
The closest a team has been to that level of dominance since then are the Houston Astros, and they had two Fall Classic wins in a span of six seasons from 2017 to 2022.
Those Giants had a very solid third baseman: Pablo Sandoval became a folk hero in San Francisco because he was a good regular-season performer, but a monster in the playoffs.
Sandoval’s career has been on a downward trend since his last World Series title in 2014, with conditioning problems and normal decline.
He is now 37 years old, and trying to return to MLB.
The Giants are giving him that chance, signing him to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
The #SFGiants have signed IF Pablo Sandoval to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training pic.twitter.com/7kSxSCk04r
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) February 19, 2024
Sandoval, a former two-time All-Star and World Series MVP in 2012, hasn’t played in MLB since 2021.
He did it with the Atlanta Braves back then, and hit a disappointing .178/.302/.342 with a .645 OPS in 69 games.
At this point of his career, it’s highly unlikely Sandoval has what it takes to be a regular.
However, he could potentially win a spot on the roster, and that alone would be a huge personal victory.
Even with the disappointing post-dynasty years, Sandoval can say he has had a good career, with 262 doubles, 153 home runs, and a .773 OPS in addition to the three World Series rings.
He is trying hard to extend it, and the Giants are giving him a chance.
The post Giants Officially Welcome Back A Franchise Legend appeared first on The Cold Wire.