Pablo Sandoval has recorded just seven plate appearances this season, and yet, given the reports, Vines, and benchings, it might already be worse than his forgettable 2015 campaign.
The 29-year old Boston Red Sox third baseman has faced an immense amount of criticism over his inability to maintain a healthy playing weight. Then he was benched by the Red Sox and has since been place on the disabled list due to an injured shoulder. Things did not get much better Friday when CSN’s Sean McAdam went on Toucher & Rich. When the conversation turned to Sandoval, the Red Sox reporter told listeners that the Giants had attempted and failed at curbing Sandoval’s eating habits during his time in San Francisco. The Giants did not respond to a request for comment.
McAdam explained that Sandoval had not been given an ultimatum by Boston to lose weight or lose his starting role; rather he lost the role in spring training because he entered camp out-of-shape in comparison to current starter Travis Shaw. McAdam also said that the issue with Sandoval’s fitness did not have anything to do with his work ethic, stating the fact that he regularly beat his trainer to the gym for extended off-season workout sessions that would begin at 7 a.m. He then put forth the same unofficial diagnosis thousands of fans and reporters have made in recent months.
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“Look, I’m not even playing a doctor on the radio this morning, but it certainly seems like this guy has some sort of significant eating disorder, because if you’re putting that much time in at the gym, and it’s supervised, and it’s all programmed out, and then you walk into camp, the way he did, you must be eating an awful lot to counteract the work you’re doing.”
McAdam then revealed that Boston was not the first team to take measures to deal with Sandoval’s fluctuating weight. He reports that when Sandoval took roadtrips with his former team, the San Francisco Giants, the organization was fairly heavy-handed in it attempts to curb their third baseman’s snacking.
“And I’ll tell you another anecdote. This is how concerned the Giants were when he played for them, is that they would make special arrangements at the hotel the Giants were staying in to not allow him to order room service. They would tell the front desk management, ‘If he calls down for room service at night after games, do not send anything to this room.’ They went to great measures to try to cut down on those eating binges, and it would only work for a time because he would find someplace to get food.”
McAdam was not the only one to speak out about Sandoval Friday. Ethan Banning, Sandoval’s former trainer, told the Boston Herald that the ballplayer needed a “babysitter,” backing up McAdam’s statements about Sandoval’s work ethic but comparing his eating to alcoholism.
“He’s proven to me and shown consistently that he’s got to have somebody like me holding his hand,” Banning said. “And it’s not an exercise thing, it’s an eating thing. Obviously exercise is an important factor in it, a very important factor, but eating is going to be the component that needs to be managed and monitored.”
Sandoval is a two-time all-star and was the 2012 World Series MVP. He is currently playing out a five-year, $95 million deal signed in 2014 — his first year in Boston resulted in a career-low batting average of .245 and just 10 home runs, his lowest total since his rookie season. The Red Sox are reportedly interested in trading Sandoval, though the market is not currently optimal given the slew of negative press Sandoval has attracted in past few months.
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