A 28 year old multiple World Series champion on the open market is a rarity in baseball.
Pablo Sandoval is such a free agent. The Panda, the Giants third baseman, is seeking a six-year contract on the open market, his agent Gustavo Vasquez told the SF Chronicle.
Vasquez explains that the six-year term of the contract
is more important to Sandoval than the average annual value. That
comment isn’t surprising, as a player will typically downgrade a
contract’s AAV as the years increase. While he said Sandoval has no
specific dollar figure in mind, other reports have indicated the deal will cost more than $100 million. So,
while the AAV of the deal may be somewhat flexible, it seems Vasquez
must be eyeing at least a $17MM annual salary for his client.
With a qualifying offer of $15.3 million, that sets a high base for quality free agents.
Sandoval has played seven years. His career WAR is 21.1. Based on $5 million per WAR, one could say he is worth $15 million per average year. Last season his WAR was 3.3. He would counter by saying is value is $16.5 million. $1.5 million gap over 6 years is $9 million, or 1.8 WAR (and a 0.3 WAR/season application).
The six year time frame puts Sandoval in the prime of his career.
However, he has the chunky body type that some people may consider a risk. For a .279 BA, 16 HR and 79 RBI, he is not the most productive corner infielder in the league. It is his post-season numbers that make him attractive to playoff teams.
A few people believe he will take a "home town" discount and stay with the Giants. But perhaps the Giants will think hard to allocate that $100 million commitment to retention of pitching, which was the key to their World Series championship.
