The Giants, Red Sox and Padres all have offers on the table for free-agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval. His brother, Michael Sandoval, said a decision will be made by next week.
After the Red Sox reportedly made a five-year, $95 million offer to Sandoval, it was noted the Padres made the highest offer this weekend, but the terms weren't disclosed. Sandoval and his agent, Gustavo Vazquez, have made it known they want a six-year contract, which means the Padres may have presented more years or more money to get ahead of Boston.
Despite San Diego's offer, it's believed Sandoval is leaning toward the Red Sox, which is no surprise because the Padres aren't yet an established ball club and San Francisco . His former team offered him a three-year, $40 million extension before the 2014 season began and have yet to fulfill his desire of a six-year contract even after he helped the team to its third World Series championship in five years.
If Sandoval ultimately chooses the Red Sox (or the Padres), John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle writes the Giants are then expected to make a serious bid on Yasmany Tomas, the power-hitting Cuban outfielder. The 24-year-old has been garnering interest since September and the Giants have been speculated to be a landing spot for him. San Francisco was said to be a front-runner for Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo, but the 27-year-old signed with Boston in August.
Unfortunately for the Giants, Tomas can only fill one void. He's believed to have a tremendous power bat but he has no major league experience, despite many believing he's ready to perform at the top level. Sandoval's departure will leave the Giants without a third baseman, a reliable switch-hitter and a good clubhouse figure. And San Francisco isn't even guaranteed to land Tomas because the Padres and Braves are considered to be the favorites for him right now, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez.
However, all is not lost for the Giants. They still have time to prepare one last offer to persuade Sandoval to stay. If his former team comes around and gives him the years he wants with a similar amount of money that the Red Sox and Padres offered him, then there should be little reason he wouldn't accept. If Sandoval leaves, they'll still have a shot at signing Tomas because he's not expected to join an MLB team until the winter meetings, which take place from December 7-11.
We'll be keeping a close eye on Sandoval throughout the week.
