Plump Panda: Has Pablo Sandoval’s Weight Become An Issue?

The MLB has a storied history of charmingly hefty stars. From Babe Ruth, to Mo Vaughn, to Prince Fielder, seemingly out-of-shape players have managed to thrive throughout the years. Pablo Sandoval has always been one of them. Listed at 5′ 11″ and anywhere from 240 to 255 pounds, Sandoval has hit for average rather than power throughout his career, while playing respectable defense as a full-time third baseman. He’s not your stereotypical big bodied masher who goes yard, strikes out, and very little in between. His contributions have always been more balanced.

Before this season he joined the Red Sox on a 5-year, $95 million deal, after seven seasons in San Francisco. The rumblings about his weight began even before spring training, when an unflattering picture of the man nicknamed Kung Fu Panda circled the internet.

At the time Red Sox manager John Farrell dismissed Sandoval’s generous belly as a nonissue. According to ESPN, he said “No, [we’re] not concerned about his weight. There’s a number of people that he’s working with here to make sure that he’s on the field every day, and that would be the case throughout the course of the regular season.”

Wednesday, however, after Sandoval failed to reached home from first on a ball that made it all the way to the right field fence and had to leave the game in the 5th inning for what’s being called dehydration, Farrell was singing a decidedly different tune. He didn’t say outright Sandoval is overweight, but he did speak to his level of conditioning.

“That’s something Pablo has dealt with his entire career. It continues to be addressed. I can’t say tonight is a direct result of that. There are ongoing efforts to support that, to try to get him in the best shape possible,” Farrell said. He added that he thought Sandoval should have scored on the play mentioned above.

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Likely, no one would care if the Red Sox weren’t in last place in the division by a mile, or if Sandoval wasn’t batting .260 with just 34 RBIs. But they are and he is, and the Red Sox spent a boatload to bring him to town.

This season is certainly a lost cause for Boston, but Sandoval can redeem himself with a couple strong months, give the fans some hope for better fortunes in 2016. No one is calling for a total Panda slim down. He’s a big guy, that’s fine. But if his lackluster play has anything to do with carrying a few more pounds than years past, that’s something that has to be addressed.

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