What is Pablo Sandoval Worth?

Oct 29, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval hits a double against the Kansas City Royals in the 8th inning during game seven of the 2014 World Series at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Pablo Sandoval had another terrific postseason in 2014, going 26-for-71 (.366), and this offseason he is due for a big pay day. There are a few teams out there that could use the services of the Panda, with the Boston Red Sox, and the (shudder) Los Angeles Dodgers being the two other teams likely to make bids for the third baseman, along with the Giants. Yet, this offseason, Sandoval is likely going to receive more than market value with the competition having deep pockets and lots of motivation.

There was once a time when Pablo Sandoval could be had for just $85M, over the course of five years. Before the season started, it was rumored that Sandoval was looking closer to $100M. Last week, I speculated that he would receive closer to $125 over the course of five years. Let’s take two third basemen, and use their average statistics for a 162 game season.

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In every facet, David Wright has better statistics than Sandoval, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he will make less than Mr. Met. Wright will undoubtedly be used as a measuring stick in negotiations, and could help the Giants out in the long run, by lowering Pablo’s asking price. The Red Sox are the team to watch out for. While they have been wary of long contracts, which for them is three to four years, they may make an exception for Kung Fu Panda, given that he is only 28.

There have been conflicting reports as to what Pablo Sandoval is actually looking for in free agency over the past day. An ESPN report says he is looking for six years, while another says he doesn’t want to limit his market by having a minimum number of years, suggesting he could be had on a shorter deal. Both pieces quote Sandoval’s agent, Gustavo Vasquez as their source for these comments.

If a shorter deal is reached, in the three or four year range, the average annual value is likely to be much higher than that of a six-year deal. This is pure speculation on my part, but a three to four year deal could have an AAV of $25M, while a six-year deal could be around $20M per season. Again, this is pure speculation on my part, but with his career postseason numbers, and the lack of any comparable talent on the market at his position this offseason, the price will be steep for the Giants if they hope to retain the services of Pablo Sandoval.

With that, I am curious what you think. Would you pay the man, no matter the cost, or would you let him be lured to Boston or Los Angeles by the allure of more cash?