[ad_1]
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When Pablo Sandoval visited Oracle Park for Mike Murphy’s Wall of Fame ceremony last August, he found himself talking to reporters and Giants officials during batting practice. At one point, Sandoval was told that he appeared to be in the best shape of his life. He started to laugh.
“There’s no stress,” he explained. “I don’t have to worry about striking out anymore.”
Six months later, Sandoval is inviting that stress back into his life. And he is happy to do it.
Sandoval officially joined Giants camp Monday morning, the first day with the full team at Scottsdale Stadium. He is in camp as a non-roster invitee on a minor league contract, but he made it clear that this is not a Sergio Romo situation. Sandoval is not here for a farewell appearance during the Bay Bridge Series, and he said Monday that he is not thinking about retiring.
“I came here to fight for a place,” he said.
At the moment, the Giants do not have one. A longtime switch-hitter, Sandoval only bats left-handed, and would appear to be limited to first base and designated hitter, although he is much thinner than in the days when he regularly played third base.
The Giants have LaMonte Wade Jr. starting and Wilmer Flores should get most of his at-bats at first. There are others, including Blake Sabol, who could find themselves in the backup mix early on. Jorge Soler will be the everyday designated hitter.
Sandoval said he’s open to whatever the Giants need, and indicated he might be willing to accept an assignment at Triple-A Sacramento if that’s his only path at the end of March. It’s also possible that Sandoval could catch the attention of another team with an easier path to the big leagues.
Those are details for six weeks from now. On Monday, Sandoval simply made it clear that he was not willing to hang them. He has always liked to hit and he still wants to do it.
“It’s amazing. It’s amazing. The time I was away, I missed it a lot,” he said. “When you love baseball and all you do is this, you’re going to miss it when you’re away.”
It’s been three years since Sandoval played in the major leagues, and he had just a .645 OPS during his last stint with the Atlanta Braves. Sandoval has since played in Mexico and Dubai, the latter run stemming in part from a conversation Sandoval had shortly before visiting Oracle Park.
Liam Sandoval is now eight years old and falling in love with the game like his father did. The two were batting last August when Liam told his father that it looked like he could still play. When games in Dubai with other former major leaguers went well, the elder Sandoval began to really believe, too.
“I came back (to Florida) and took it more seriously,” he said.
Sandoval began making it clear to Giants employees that he wanted to try to return. That led to a risk-free trial, and certainly breathed some life into a young clubhouse.
Sandoval is often heard before he is seen, and by adding Soler and Sandoval on consecutive days, the Giants definitely have a more energetic group. That could pay off even if the spring return falls short on the field. Sandoval said he intends to mentor young hitters like Marco Luciano and Luis Matos, a fellow Venezuelan who grew up watching the Panda.
At 37 years old, Sandoval is closer to the coaching staff than most players. In fact, he played under one of the coaches and won a title in 2010 under new hitting coach Pat Burrell. When asked if he someday wants to coach, Sandoval smiled and said his focus is still on hitting and attempting what would be a very unlikely comeback.
The Giants have already seen Sandoval do it once, having brought him back for a successful run in 2017 after his decision to go to 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 give it another chance.
“It’s not going to be easy. It’s a big challenge,” he said. “I’ve been through this before, but this one will be more special.”
Download and follow the Giants Talk podcast
