Ugh, Just Pay Pablo Sandoval

Broken Hamate Bone

I'm cringing as I write this. More than anyone you know, I loathe Pablo Sandoval. I hate his weight issues, his horrendous plate discipline and his ridiculous injury problems. The man will likely find a way to break a hamate bone this season, despite already having them both surgically removed. In so many ways, he's a trainwreck. Not to mention the legions of idiot fans who adorn their heads with panda hats (Their extinction would be the greatest thing since the Saturn V Rocket). I would love, more than many things, to see these annoyances disappear from my baseball radar. However, in relation to the Giants' current situation, they don't outweigh the benefits of Pablo Sandoval.

I'll try to keep my point short and concise. Pablo wants 5 years and 90 million dollars, "Hunter Pence Money". Is Hunter Pence even worth that money? Ehhhh, yes, I think so. When you take the state of the farm system and free agent situation into account, Hunter Pence was worth that money. The same is almost true with the Sandoval scenario. There's no up and coming third baseman waiting in the Giants' minor league system. But, if they let Pablo walk and decide to pick up a free agent third baseman, they'd likely have to pay a similar price in order to avoid a significant downgrade. 

My overarching feeling with this entire thing is the Giants just need to suck it up and pay him. Sabean has made plenty of bonehead deals in the past. Why decide to make a stand with Pablo? The team managed to win two World Series titles under the shadow of the Barry Zito debacle. 5 years and 90 million dollars, even if Sandoval tanks, is not going to sink the organization. Lets not forget he still has the potential to be one of the best hitting third baseman in the league. Three bombs off Verlander, in one game, in the World Series. Three bombs. 

Now, lets hypothetically say a big deal gets inked. Could Pablo balloon up like a scared puffer fish? Absolutely. Could he find a way to rip his baby toe off or break his #3 vertebrae? Without a doubt. That's the risk the Giants front office has to look at. But, he is also the best option at the moment. And, if Sabean doesn't sign him now, I think it will be a mistake. His shortcomings aside (and those damn Panda hats), Pablo needs to be brought back.