The Red Sox introduced their new third baseman, Pablo Sandoval, at a Fenway Park news conference on Tuesday.Shortly before Sandoval took the podium alongside general manager Ben Cherington, Boston formally announced the five-year contract, which includes a club option for a sixth season. CBSSports.com reported that the deal is worth $95 million.
"He really embodies a lot of what we care about," Cherington said. "This is a guy that has been a big winner. He's been a performer when it counts the most. He's respected as a teammate, loves to play and we think really fits what we're all about here and we're really looking forward to having him in a Red Sox uniform in the middle of our lineup for years to come."Sandoval, 28, spent the first seven seasons of his big league career with the Giants, who signed him as an amateur free agent in 2003. In that time, he helped lead the Giants to three World Series titles while compiling one of the most impressive postseason resumes in baseball.This year, Sandoval hit .366 (with a postseason-record 26 hits) with seven doubles, five RBIs and five walks in 17 postseason games. He's reached base safely in 36 of 39 postseason games he has played, with a .344 average -- best in Major League history among those with at least 150 postseason plate appearances.Sandoval figures to be a strong complement to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, another accomplished postseason hitter. Only Ortiz's .455 World Series batting average is higher than Sandoval's .426 mark among players with at least 50 World Series plate appearances.Sandoval hit .279 with 26 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 73 RBIs in 157 regular-season games for San Francisco this year, and he was third among National League third basemen with a .971 fielding percentage."Pablo was a primary target of ours to start the offseason," Cherington said. "It was important to us to add another really good left-handed bat -- but in Pablo's case a switch-hitter -- to our lineup, third base being an obvious place to do it."The Red Sox are expected to soon announce the signing of free agent Hanley Ramirez to a contract reportedly worth $88 million over four seasons that includes a $22 million vesting option for a fifth."We are good friends. We have a good relationship," Sandoval said of Ramirez. "We had dinner last night and were talking about all the good moments we had in the West and the [Giants-Dodgers] rivalry. Now being on the same team is going to be fun. He's such a great guy."To make room on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated first baseman/catcher Ryan Lavarnway for assignment.Joey Nowak/MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
