The Red Sox have officially announced the signing. The club’s 40-man roster now stands at 40.
The Red Sox and southpaw Patrick Sandoval have agreed on a two-year contract worth a guaranteed $18.25 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Angels did not tender the Wasserman client last month, and he is now rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, which was conducted in June. He’ll be out for at least the first half of the 2025 season, if not longer, but he might be a late-season option in Boston and should be part of their 2026 rotation. Sandoval will earn $5.5 million in 2025 and $12.75 million in 2026, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. According to Speier, the Sox are still interested in adding to their rotation.
Sandoval’s two-year guarantee raises questions about the Angels’ choice not to tender him, as does his anticipated salary of $5.9MM (per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz). Even if Sandoval had missed the entire 2025 season, he would have received the same $5.9MM salary, for a total of $11.8MM. There is no chance he would have gotten a nearly $6.5 million raise on his estimated 2025 pay heading into the 2026 season.
The Angels undoubtedly shopped Sandoval around before releasing him, and market conditions have shifted since then. Still, recent two-year deals for Tommy John rehabbers on similar timeframes (e.g., Tyler Mahle, German Marquez) indicate that the lefty could have been traded at some point, but the Halos chose instant monetary flexibility instead. Perhaps this made it simpler for them to sign Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year contract, but Sandoval’s deal with the Red Sox demonstrates that he would have had at least modest trade value if the Halos had offered him a contract and continued to explore the market for his services.
The Angels undoubtedly shopped Sandoval around before releasing him, and market conditions have shifted since then. Still, recent two-year deals for Tommy John rehabbers on similar timeframes (e.g., Tyler Mahle, German Marquez) indicate that the lefty could have been traded at some point, but the Halos chose instant monetary flexibility instead. Perhaps this made it simpler for them to sign Yusei Kikuchi to a three-year contract, but Sandoval’s deal with the Red Sox demonstrates that he would have had at least modest trade value if the Halos had offered him a contract and continued to explore the market for his services.
Sandoval’s command isn’t outstanding and never has been, but that number is skewed slightly by an 11.3% score from 2023, which appears to be a clear outlier. Sandoval recorded a 9.3% walk rate in 2021, 2022, and 2024. It’s still not excellent, but it’s only approximately one percentage point above the league average. His four-seamer and sinker both sit at 93-94 mph, and he complements those fastballs with a slider that misses bats and a changeup that helps him keep righties at bay. He still has a significant platoon spread, but right-handed hitters haven’t hammered him (.263/.344/.391), and lefties should avoid swinging (.195/.274/.324).
Sandoval isn’t a star, but he’s proven himself to be a good third or fourth starter, even in a competitive rotation. He’ll certainly start the season on the disabled list, but he’ll ultimately add another arm to Boston’s starting lineup, which also features Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello, and, at some point, Lucas Giolito. Giolito, like Sandoval, is recovering from UCL surgery, but his was performed in March, so he should be back in a few months sooner. Garrett Whitlock, who is recovering from a Tommy John surgery, provides the Sox with another possible starting arm, albeit he may be used in either the bullpen or the rotation.
The Red Sox might potentially add another starting pitcher. They’ve been linked to Corbin Burnes on the free agent market and are allegedly investigating the availability of Mariners righty Luis Castillo and Padres righty Dylan Cease. With multiple arms recovering from surgery and a number of starters with only one full season of rotation experience (Crochet, Houck, Crawford, Bello), adding another arm seems wise – even if it isn’t a front-of-the-rotation type.
With Sandoval on board, RosterResource predicts the Red Sox will have a $155 million payroll and almost $191 million in luxury tax commitments. They’re still a long way from reaching the $241MM tax threshold, thanks in large part to their first significant rotation addition of the winter (Crochet). This provides plenty of room for the Sox to add another arm and continue to pursue Alex Bregman, Teoscar Hernandez, and other high-profile targets.
