MLB Rumors: Marlins “Very Interested” in Pablo Sandoval?

San Francisco Giant first baseman Pablo Sandoval is going to be the one of the most sought after free agents this off-season. The third baseman is in the middle of a playoff run with the Giants, but will turn his attention to free agency right after the season.

The Giants have always seemed to take care of their own, resigning players like Tim Lincecum and Hunter Pence when they hit the free agent market. For this reason, many around the game felt he could be the next Giant free agent to stick with his team.

However, this may not be the case, MLB Network Contributor Peter Gammons appeared on High Heat the other day and stated that believes that Sandoval’s time in San Francisco is nearing its end. On High Heat, Gammons mentioned “The Giants, I don’t think have any chance of re-signing him.”

With the Giants seemingly out of the race in Gammons mind, he mentions two teams he believes have a great deal of interest in Sandoval: the Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox.

Garrett Jones has been a disappointment for the Marlins this year and the team is looking for ways to improve the first base position. One idea already thrown out there was moving Christian Yelich to first base, a move I am not personally a fan of.

Another option for the Marlins would be to sign a third baseman like Sandoval and move incumbent third baseman Casey McGehee to first base. This move would give the Marlins a big bat they could put behind Stanton to “protect” him.

Gammons believes that Sandoval will be seeking a 5-year deal worth $90 million in free agency. That’s a figure that the Marlins could definitely meet if the rumors of their $75 million payroll are true.

However, with the Sox in competition, the bidding could always become too excessive for the Marlins. It would not be advisable, in my opinion, to make Sandoval the second (or possibly third) $100 million man in franchise history.