Red Sox on clock in wooing Sandoval

Commentary

By Gordon Edes | ESPNBoston.com

BOSTON -- Upon his arrival at Logan Airport late Monday afternoon, Pablo Sandoval smiled with mischief in his eyes and told a Boston TV crew he was on 'vacation.'

In the executive offices on Yawkey Way, there is no such luxury. If the past few days have demonstrated anything in Major League Baseball, it is that the pace of doing business has lurched into fast-forward. A patient reading of the market, which often took teams through the winter meetings and beyond, has given way, at least temporarily, to a quick-strike mentality, with teams pinpointing their needs and acting aggressively to fill them.

The general managers had not yet scattered from their meetings in Phoenix when the news broke that the Detroit Tigers had signed their designated hitter, Victor Martinez, to a four-year deal. Then, on Monday, came three transactions, one bigger than the next.

The Blue Jays signed catcher and native son Russell Martin to a five-year deal. The Braves and Cardinals executed a major trade; the Cardinals acquired right fielder Jason Heyward to fill a void left by the car accident that took the life of rising star Oscar Taveras, and the Braves acquired two young pitchers as part of their strategy to restock their mound depth. Then the Miami Marlins confirmed they were signing franchise player Giancarlo Stanton to a historic, 13-year, $325 million deal that ended, at least for the foreseeable future, the speculation that Stanton would end up with one of the league's glamour teams.

And now, Boston gets its turn at bat with the two objects of its greatest desire, pitcher Jon Lester and third baseman Sandoval. Radio silence has descended on Boston's overtures to Lester, with neither side acknowledging they have yet to hold the meeting agent Seth Levinson said last week was on Lester's immediate agenda.

There might have been some scheduling hiccups. Red Sox owner John W. Henry flew to Dubai last week to attend to business involving his Liverpool soccer team -- the most delicious rumors inevitably suggested he might be trying to sell -- while Sox chairman Tom Werner, who made his fortune as a TV producer, has been beset by concerns that his latest project involving Bill Cosby, the star with whom he made sit-com history, could be in jeopardy after old allegations resurfaced against the legendary comedian.

Lester reportedly is scheduled to visit the Cubs on Tuesday in Chicago, where Theo Epstein could wreak havoc on his former employer's plans to lure Lester back. The Toronto Blue Jays are another team that signaled interest in Lester last week in Arizona, though on the surface, the Jays seem a long way from the routine-based Lester's comfort zone.

Lurking, as always, in the background are the Yankees, who have a history of snatching what the Sox thought was theirs ( Mark Teixeira, Johnny Damon, Bernie Williams).

Then there is Sandoval, the man with baseball's best nickname (Kung Fu Panda) and one of its most scrutinized body types, a 28-year-old free agent who hits bad pitches and hoards bad cholesterol at roughly the same pace.

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The Red Sox need a third baseman and left-handed bat. Sandoval is a switch-hitter who plays superior defense and has designs of being paid like an elite free agent entering what should be the prime of his career.

The reasons for the mutual attraction are obvious, but here's why Tuesday looms so large for the Sox: After the Giants won the World Series for the third time in five seasons, Sandoval, who hit three home runs in one game, was World Series MVP in 2012 and tied a Series record with a dozen hits this year, was asked if he planned to come back to the Giants.

'Without question,' he said.

Caught up in the emotion of the moment? No doubt. But if the dollars are anywhere close to equal, it seems likely Sandoval will return to a place where he already is a folk hero.

Now just because agent Gustavo Vasquez said Sandoval wants a six-year deal doesn't mean he will get one. But Toronto's five-year, $82 million deal for Martin, who is four years older than Sandoval and has a more erratic career arc than the Panda, suggests the Red Sox will have to go beyond their comfort zone if they really want Sandoval.

Could the Sox sign Sandoval before he even leaves town? That's highly improbable. He'll at least give the Giants the courtesy of a listen, and there reportedly are other suitors, including the Padres. But the Red Sox could make it very hard for Sandoval to say no.

The Sox will want some assurances from Sandoval that he will not balloon beyond usefulness. He has shown surprisingly nimble feet for a man of his girth, and he has sure hands and a quick bat. Consider: Last season, he was batting .167 on May 6, distracted in part by talks of a contract extension that never materialized. He batted .306 in 126 games after that date. That's 31 percent better than the Sox player with the highest average and at least 300 at-bats in that span ( Dustin Pedroia, .275).

Sandoval could eventually move off third base to succeed David Ortiz as the team's designated hitter. He already has a resume that rivals Big Papi's for postseason brilliance.

The Sox have a history with Venezuelans with big appetites, sunny dispositions and strained waistbands. Reliever Rich Garces was El Guapo, whose popularity in Boston exceeded his achievements.

'They never booed me at Fenway,' Garces would say years later, when he showed up playing for Nashua in an independent league. 'Ever.'

The Red Sox cannot make any such promise to Pablo Sandoval. Jon Lester already knows the territory. But the Sox have a chance this week to reward both players with what they desire most. For Lester, a chance to come back at a price he deems fair; for Sandoval, a chance to be paid like a star of the first rank.

Red Sox reporter, ESPNBoston.com

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