Red Sox to sign proven starter

The Red Sox and lefty Patrick Sandoval are in agreement on a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $18.25M, reports ESPNs Jeff Passan.

The Wasserman client was non-tendered by the Angels last month and is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, performed in June.

Hell miss at least the first half of the 2025 season, if not a bit more, but could be a late-season option in Boston and should be a member of their 2026 rotation.

Sandoval will earn $5.5M in 2025 and $12.75M in 2026, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.

Speier adds that the Sox are still open to additional rotation acquisitions.

Sandovals two-year guarantee makes the Angels decision to non-tender him and his $5.9M projected salary ( via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz ) look all the more dubious.

Even if Sandoval had missed all of the 2025 season, hed have been in line to merely repeat that $5.9M salary a total of $11.8M.

Theres no way he wouldve secured a nearly $6.5M raise on that projected 2025 salary heading into the 2026 season.

The Angels presumably shopped Sandoval around prior to cutting him loose, and market circumstances have changed since that time.

Still, recent two-year deals for Tommy John rehabbers on similar timelines (e.g.

Tyler Mahle , German Marquez ) show that there could eventually have been trade interest in the lefty, but the Halos instead opted for immediate salary flexibility.

Perhaps that made it easier for them to sign Yusei Kikuchi on a three-year pact, but Sandovals deal with the Red Sox shows that hed very likely have had at least modest trade value had the Halos tendered him a contract and continued to explore the market for his services.

Though his exact timetable for a return to a big league mound cant be known this far along in the rehab process, Sandoval is a quality arm wholl slot into the middle of the Boston rotation whenever hes cleared.

Just days prior to his injury, I took a look at the statistical similarities between Sandoval and another lefty popular trade target Jesus Luzardo .

Dating back to 2021, Sandoval carries a 3.80 ERA with roughly average strikeout numbers (22.6%) and somewhat heavy 10.2% walk rate.

Sandovals command isnt great and never has been, but that number is skewed a bit by an 11.3% mark from 2023 that looks like a clear outlier.

Sandoval posted a 9.3% walk rate in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

Its still not good, but its only about one percentage point north of league average.

He sits 93-94 mph with his four-seamer and sinker alike, complementing those fastballs with a slider that misses bats and a changeup that helps him keep righties at bay.

He does still carry a notable platoon split, but right-handed hitters havent exactly crushed him (.263/.344/.391) and lefties practically shouldnt bother swinging (.195/.274/.324).

Sandoval isnt a star but has proven himself to be a capable third or fourth starter, even in a contending rotation.

Hell obviously open the season on the injured list but will eventually give Boston another arm to join a starting mix that includes Garrett Crochet , Tanner Houck , Kutter Crawford , Brayan Bello and, at some point, Lucas Giolito .

Like Sandoval, Giolito is on the mend from UCL surgery, but his was performed last March so he should be back a few months sooner.

Garrett Whitlock gives the Sox another potential rotation arm whos on the mend from a Tommy John procedure, though he could factor into either the pen or the rotation.

The Red Sox could very well add another starting pitcher.

Theyve been tied to Corbin Burnes on the free agent market and have also reportedly looked into the availability of Mariners righty Luis Castillo and Padres righty Dylan Cease .

With several arms on the mend from surgery and a number of starters with only one full season of rotation experience under their belts (Crochet, Houck, Crawford, Bello), another arm feels prudent even if its not a front-of-the-rotation type.

With Sandoval now in tow, RosterResource projects the Red Sox for a $155M payroll and about $191M worth of luxury tax obligations.

Theyre nowhere close to the $241M tax threshold, thanks in no small part to going the trade route for their first impactful rotation addition of the winter (Crochet).

That leaves ample opportunity for the Sox to bring in another arm and continue to poke around the markets for Alex Bregman , Teoscar Hernandez and other high-profile targets.

This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission..

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