The Red Sox $95 million man will be collecting pay checks from the dugout to begin the season.
John Farrell announced on Thursday that Travis Shaw has won the third base job out of camp.
Shaw was one of the team's hottest hitters all through camp, and played a strong third base defensively. He came into Thursday's game batting .333 with two home runs and 10 RBI. Sandoval showed up much more out of shape than most people expected him to be, and didn't do enough to earn the starting job. He batted .244 with two home runs and six RBI. Back pain during camp didn't help his cause, either.
Sandoval told reporters after the annoucement was made that he wasn't surprised and it was "the right decision to help the team win".
The decision is a bold one from Farrell, who could have chosen to start Sandoval at third and brought Shaw, who can play three positions, off the bench, not ruffling any feathers in the process. But Farrell went with a lineup he feels can win right out of the gate - and that's probably smart as many feel he's on a short leash to begin the season.
So what happens now with Sandoval? He can't provide help at any other position other than third base, so he's not very helpful to the Red Sox. There were reports that the San Diego Padres were keeping an eye on him in spring training, and possibly interested in making a trade. But for now, anyways, he's the team's very expensive cheerleader until he proves to be the best option at third base on offense and defense.