December 23: The Purple Sox have formally introduced the signing. The membership’s 40-man roster now stands at 40.
December 20: The Purple Sox and lefty Patrick Sandoval are in settlement on a two-year deal price a assured $18.25MM, stories ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Wasserman shopper was non-tendered by the Angels final month and is at present recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure, carried out in June. He’ll miss no less than the primary half of the 2025 season, if not a bit extra, however could possibly be a late-season choice in Boston and must be a member of their 2026 rotation. Sandoval will earn $5.5MM in 2025 and $12.75MMM in 2026, stories Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Speier provides that the Sox are nonetheless open to further rotation acquisitions.
Sandoval’s two-year assure makes the Angels’ determination to non-tender him and his $5.9MM projected wage (by way of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) look all of the extra doubtful. Even when Sandoval had missed all the 2025 season, he’d have been in line to merely repeat that $5.9MM wage — a complete of $11.8MM. There’s no manner he would’ve secured a virtually $6.5MM increase on that projected 2025 wage heading into the 2026 season.
The Angels presumably shopped Sandoval round previous to slicing him free, and market circumstances have modified since that point. Nonetheless, latest two-year offers for Tommy John rehabbers on comparable timelines (e.g. Tyler Mahle, German Marquez) present that there might finally have been commerce curiosity within the lefty, however the Halos as a substitute opted for fast wage flexibility. Maybe that made it simpler for them to signal Yusei Kikuchi on a three-year pact, however Sandoval’s take care of the Purple Sox reveals that he’d very probably have had no less than modest commerce worth had the Halos tendered him a contract and continued to discover the marketplace for his companies.
Although his precise timetable for a return to an enormous league mound can’t be recognized this far alongside within the rehab course of, Sandoval is a high quality arm who’ll slot into the center of the Boston rotation every time he’s cleared. Simply days previous to his harm, I took a take a look at the statistical similarities between Sandoval and one other lefty — standard commerce goal Jesus Luzardo. Courting again to 2021, Sandoval carries a 3.80 ERA with roughly common strikeout numbers (22.6%) and considerably heavy 10.2% stroll price.
Sandoval’s command isn’t nice and by no means has been, however that quantity is skewed a bit by an 11.3% mark from 2023 that appears like a transparent outlier. Sandoval posted a 9.3% stroll price in 2021, 2022 and 2024. It’s nonetheless not good, but it surely’s solely about one share level north of league common. He sits 93-94 mph together with his four-seamer and sinker alike, complementing these fastballs with a slider that misses bats and a changeup that helps him maintain righties at bay. He does nonetheless carry a notable platoon break up, however right-handed hitters haven’t precisely crushed him (.263/.344/.391) and lefties virtually shouldn’t trouble swinging (.195/.274/.324).
Sandoval isn’t a star however has confirmed himself to be a succesful third or fourth starter, even in a contending rotation. He’ll clearly open the season on the injured record however will finally give Boston one other arm to hitch a beginning combine that features Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and, in some unspecified time in the future, Lucas Giolito. Like Sandoval, Giolito is on the mend from UCL surgical procedure, however his was carried out final March so he must be again a couple of months sooner. Garrett Whitlock provides the Sox one other potential rotation arm who’s on the mend from a Tommy John process, although he might issue into both the ’pen or the rotation.
The Purple Sox might very properly add one other beginning pitcher. They’ve been tied to Corbin Burnes on the free agent market and have additionally reportedly appeared into the supply of Mariners righty Luis Castillo and Padres righty Dylan Stop. With a number of arms on the mend from surgical procedure and a lot of starters with just one full season of rotation expertise underneath their belts (Crochet, Houck, Crawford, Bello), one other arm feels prudent — even when it’s not a front-of-the-rotation kind.
With Sandoval now in tow, RosterResource tasks the Purple Sox for a $155MM payroll and about $191MM price of luxurious tax obligations. They’re nowhere near the $241MM tax threshold, thanks in no small half to going the commerce route for his or her first impactful rotation addition of the winter (Crochet). That leaves ample alternative for the Sox to usher in one other arm and proceed to poke across the markets for Alex Bregman, Teoscar Hernandez and different high-profile targets.
