The Giants aren’t yet placing a rush order for Panda hats to be delivered to Oracle Park, but beloved fan favorite Pablo Sandoval does have a chance to suit up with the team again this season.
The 37-year-old Sandoval is expected to sign a minor-league deal with the Giants and will receive a non-roster invitation to spring training, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic.
After not playing in the major leagues since 2021, Sandoval will get an opportunity to make a comeback with the team he helped win three World Series titles. He’s certainly a longshot to make the club but me could get a chance to prove himself in Triple-A, if he impresses the Giants enough during spring training.
Giants fan Alex Kirshner, 10, of Phoenix, wears his Panda hat as he watches from the outfield rail during spring training workouts at Scottsdale Stadium. (Staff file photo)
According to Pavlovic, Sandoval will arrive in Scottsdale, Arizona soon to attempt his return to the majors for the first time since batting a disappointing .178 as a backup with the Atlanta Braves over 69 games. He’s kept alive his hopes of someday returning to the big leagues while playing in Mexico last season.
Sandoval has spent 11 of his 14 big-league seasons with San Francisco, beginning in 2008, and his presence in the Giants lineup during World Series title runs in 2010, 2012 and 2014 made him arguably the team’s most popular player. Nicknamed “Kung Fu Panda,” Sandoval’s biggest career highlight came while he was winning the 2012 World Series MVP award after hitting three home runs in Game 1 and batting .500 during a four-game sweep of Detroit.
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The power-hitting corner infielder left San Francisco after the 2014 season after signing a five-year, $95 million free-agent deal with Boston, where his production dropped off precipitously. Sandoval came back to the Giants in 2017 and served in a bench role until he was released in 2020.
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