Pablo Sandoval has allegedly lost 20 pounds this offseason
Rejoice, baseball fans, we’ve once again reached that magical time of the offseason. That’s right, today is “Pablo Sandoval offseason weight loss update” day. This year, the Boston Red Sox third baseman has reportedly lost 20 pounds, according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com.
That estimate comes straight from Red Sox manager John Farrell. Farrell spent time with both Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez recently, and was impressed with how both of them were progressing through offseason workouts.
“Right now,” said Farrell on Wednesday, “[Sandoval] is roughly 20 pounds lighter than the last game he played for us in 2015. I know for a fact that both guys (Sandoval and Ramirez) went into the off-season with some clear markers, with some clear goals to achieve from a physical standpoint. Both are doing that.
That should sound encouraging to Red Sox fans. In his first year after signing a five-year, $95 million contract, Sandoval hit a disappointing .245/.292/.366 over 505 plate appearances. His weight became an immediate issue in Boston after an unflattering picture of Sandoval popped up on Twitter during spring training.
Sandoval has always been a pretty big player, especially for a third baseman, but he’s always been able to produce at that body size. Up until last season, the defensive metrics loved Sandoval at third, so his weight never really impacted his range or fielding ability.
It’s possible that changed last season. Maybe Sandoval came into the year heavier than usual and that led to a poor season. There are also various other explanations for why he may have struggled. Maybe Sandoval was getting used to a new team and league. Perhaps he was dealing with some injuries that impacted his play. It’s also possible he’s simply declining earlier than most players.
The point is, Sandoval magically losing weight won’t guarantee he’ll return to his All-Star form. It’s probably not going to hurt, though.
[Elsewhere: The National League might be getting closer to adding the DH]
For what seems like the millionth straight offseason, Pablo Sandoval’s weight is in the news. While the offseason can be rife with changes and turmoil, it’s somewhat comforting to know Pablo Sandoval conditioning stories can be our constant.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
