Sandoval to stay in S.F. through 2014: The Giants and 3B Pablo Sandoval agreed to a three-year contract on Tuesday, keeping the 2011 All-Star in San Francisco through 2014. The San Jose Mercury News reports the deal is worth $17.15 million. Sandoval batted .315 with 23 home runs with 70 RBI last season. (Updated 01/17/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Sandoval, who underwent LASIK surgery on his left eye in November, played much of the second half of 2011 with a shoulder injury but it did not slow down his hitting much. The 25-year-old put together a nice little bounce-back campaign after making it a point to get in shape in the offseason and has rebounded as one of the top third baseman in Fantasy. He'll likely go off the board in the first six or seven rounds of mixed-league drafts next year. (Updated 01/17/2012).
A year ago, owners had a difficult time knowing what to make of Pablo Sandoval. He followed up a sensational 2009 season with a dud in 2010. After shedding weight during the offseason, a slimmer Sandoval arrived in camp in 2011 determined to rebound. Whether it was his offseason conditioning or some other factor, Sandoval was reborn as a hitter, batting .315 with 23 home runs. Though Sandoval had longer at-bats, he actually took a more aggressive approach, swinging more frequently as he had done in 2009. Having posted two good seasons out of three, Sandoval is now firmly entrenched among the top 10 third basemen heading into the 2012 season. There is no reason to think he will revert to his lighter-hitting ways, but owners should still have concerns about Sandoval's ability to stay healthy. He recovered from early season surgery to remove part of a fractured bone in his hand, but he also dealt with a strained shoulder later in the year. While Sandoval may not be the most durable option among third basemen, he is enough of a force at the plate to be worth drafting within the first seven rounds in mixed leagues. (Updated 1/5/12)