Craig Breslow provides possible timeline for free agent lefty Patrick Sandoval
Boston signed free agent left-hander Patrick Sandoval this offseason with their eye on 2026. There’s a chance the southpaw could impact the Red Sox pitching staff in the second half of next season.
While speaking with reporters on Monday, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow provided an update to Sandoval’s potential timeline to join the Red Sox.
“We think that, in the second half, he should be able to return. Exactly what that looks like, I don’t think it would make a ton of sense to speculate on,” Breslow said to reporters on Monday afternoon. “By all accounts, the procedure was straightforward. He’s making a ton of progress, and we’re hopeful that he’s going to impact this team in the second half.”
Sandoval underwent Tommy John surgery last June and is hoping to possibly pitch for the Red Sox in late 2025, if at all. He is expected to be fully healthy and ready for the 2026 season. The southpaw will earn $5.5 million in 2025 and $12.75 million in 2026.
Over parts of six big league seasons, Sandoval is 19-45 with a 4.01 ERA. He posted a 5.08 ERA with 81 strikeouts, 35 walks, and allowed eight homers over 79 2/3 innings this past season. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native has a career 4.01 ERA in six seasons with the Angels, with his best campaign coming in 2022, when he had a 2.91 ERA in 148 2/3 innings.
“Having starting pitching depth, and especially quality starting pitching depth that is potentially available in the second half when, candidly, we’ve struggled over the last couple of years there, I think it could certainly be a boost,” Breslow said. “Being able to pencil him into the rotation next year makes this an even better move for us.”
“He’s not going to be able to pitch for the first half of the season, but (we) felt like it was an opportunity to bring in a left-handed starter who’s got a track record of success and recent success,” Breslow said. “We saw some opportunities to help optimize the repertoire and feel like it was a chance to think not just about the short term but the longer term as well.”
With the Red Sox looking to beef up their rotation this offseason with higher-end pitching options, Sandoval presents a low-risk/high-reward type candidate that could pitch at the backend of the rotation or as a bulk-innings hurler once he returns from his Tommy John rehab.
