How Good Could Veteran San Francisco Giants Be?

Giants veterans looking to bounce back – Pablo Sandoval

                    G      PA     AB    2B   3B   HR    AVG   OBP  SLG
2019       108   296  272    23    0     14    .268  .313  .507

One of the best stories of the last couple of seasons has been the resurgence of Pablo Sandoval in a San Francisco Giants uniform. Primarily a bench and platoon bat, Sandoval may be perfectly situated to play an even larger role with manager Gabe Kapler’s favorability towards playing with platoon advantages.

While Sandoval was incredibly productive in his limited opportunities last season, what was his upside in a condensed 60-game stretch?

G      PA     AB    2B   3B   HR    AVG   OBP  SLG
3/28-7/11 60    140  130    13    0     8      .277   .314  .562

This one was surprising. Pablo seemed like the kind of hitter who would’ve been more prone to large swings. It turns out, that while he undoubtedly was at his best for the first 60 games of last season, he was a pretty consistently solid option.

It remains uncertain how translatable Sandoval’s success is to a more full-time opportunity. However, in a strange season that is very likely to force teams to undergo constant roster and lineup turnover, Sandoval’s ability to contribute in limited opportunities may be exactly what teams will need to thrive.

As many have pointed, there is unlikely to be much in the way of a robust trade market. Still, if the Giants are out of contention, a team might be willing to give up a flyer to bring Sandoval in for a powerful corner depth option that has a track record as a successful pinch hitter.