Might the San Diego Padres have a new third baseman? Probably not, but the Friars have been scouting Pablo Sandoval of the Boston Red Sox, this according to the Boston Globe.
Granted, just because the Padres are scouting a player doesn’t mean a trade is imminent, though many have wondered about a potential Pablo Sandoval trade given the youth barking at the door in the Red Sox’s infield and Sandoval’s struggles.
San Diego has been seeking a ‘star’ talent for quite some time, both on the field and off, with few players being more marketable than the man so many know as ‘The Panda’.
All that said, Sandoval’s numbers have continually declined and his five-year, $95 million dollar contract has to be mildly terrifying for any team interested in acquiring the belly busting third baseman.
Speculation from the Globe suggests pitcher James Shields could be the Boston Red Sox’s return target:
The Padres have had problems filling their third base void.
The fact that they are watching Sandoval the next couple of days — he went 0 for 3 in a minor league game Monday and is scheduled to start Tuesday for the first time since going down with back stiffness — may or may not mean anything, but they’re certainly leaving all options open.
The Padres have been open to trading veteran starter James Shields, who also has a big contract, in the right type of deal. The Red Sox and Orioles have been both linked to Shields, who went 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA last season and allowed a major league-high 33 homers.
The Padres were one of three teams along with the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox to offer Sandoval a contract as a free agent last offseason.
