Major League Baseball

Pablo Sandoval returning to Giants on minor-league deal as he attempts to make a comeback

Updated Feb. 19, 2024 3:00 p.m. ET

Pablo Sandoval, the 2012 World Series MVP, is returning to the San Francisco Giants on a minor league deal that includes an invitation to major league camp.

The 37-year-old Sandoval will be attempting to get back into the big leagues for the first time since 2021, when he batted .178 with a .302 on-base percentage, four homers and 11 RBIs in 69 games with the Atlanta Braves.

Sandoval is a two-time All-Star who played on the Giants' 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series-winning teams.

He was named World Series MVP after batting .500 with three homers in the Giants' 2012 four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers. He batted. 429 with a 1.002 OPS in the 2014 World Series as the Giants edged the Kansas City Royals in seven games.

Sandoval played for the Giants from 2008-14 before signing a five-year, $95 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, who released him in the summer of 2017. Sandoval then rejoined the Giants for a second stint from 2017-20. He was with the Braves from 2020-21.

He owns a .278 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, .443 slugging percentage, 153 homers and 639 RBIs in 1,380 career regular-season games while primarily playing third base.

Sandoval has batted .338 with a .921 OPS in 42 career postseason games, including a .426 average and 1.162 OPS in 12 World Series contests.

Reporting by The Associated Press.