It's Official: Pablo Sandoval Signing With Boston Red Sox

Update, 4 p.m.: So there's no doubt any longer about Pablo Sandoval's future, which will now be in a Boston Red Sox uniform. Here's a statement from the Giants:

Pablo Sandoval has been a key member of the Giants since breaking into the Majors with us in 2008. He has been with us through some of the greatest moments in San Francisco Giants history — including all three World Series Championships. We will never forget his World Series MVP performance in 2012 and his numerous contributions to the 2014 Championship. His connection with Giants fans — young and old — is truly special and he will be greatly missed. We wish him nothing but the best in Boston.

We are extremely proud of what our team accomplished in 2014 and we look forward to continuing to invest in and strengthen our team for next season.

Update, 10:55 a.m.: The Associated Press says it has a source confirming the Panda-to-Boston story. The report comes with a marked lack of detail:

A person with knowledge of the deal says free agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a multiyear contract.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the Red Sox had not announced the agreement.

The Boston Globe has published its own unnamed sources story, which pairs the Sandoval deal with a report that the Red Sox are also signing Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez:

Free agents Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval have both agreed to deals with the Red Sox, a major league source confirmed to the Globe Monday.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reported that Ramirez, a shortstop, will arrive in Boston on Monday to finalize a five-year, $90 million deal. On Monday morning, CBS Sports’s Jon Heyman reported Sandoval’s five-year deal was worth nearly $100 million.

Both deals are pending a physical. One of the two could be finalized on Monday.

Original post: The National Baseball Hall of Fame is unveiling an exhibit Monday honoring the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Among the items on display: a bat used by third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who last month set a postseason record with 26 hits.

His final hit in that memorable October, a double in Game 7 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, may have been Sandoval's last in a Giants uniform -- for a good long while, anyway.

That's because the Boston Red Sox have reportedly won a brief but intense bidding war for the 28-year-old's services. ESPN and CBS Sports, among other outlets, are reporting the Bosox will sign Sandoval on Monday to a five-year contract worth between $95 million and $100 million.

Let us note that so far, none of this is confirmed from the Red Sox, from Sandoval or from his agent. That hasn't stopped the Twittersphere from heating up. To wit:

In other quarters, calmer heads prevail. Emphasizing the unknowns in the situation is the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman:

At the moment, the Giants know what you and I know, that a lot of media reports this morning suggest that Pablo Sandoval has agreed to sign with the Boston Red Sox.

But the Giants also say they have gotten no formal word from Sandoval’s agents that a deal with the Red Sox is done. One of those agents, Gustavo Vasquez, told The Chronicle’s John Shea the same thing within the hour. Asked if Sandoval had agreed to deal with Boston, even in principal, Vasquez replied, “No.”

We’ve heard that the Red Sox have offered the Panda deal roughly worth $100 million over five years.

I’ve also just learned that the Giants’ offer was five years, $95 million — $5 million more than they gave Hunter Pence — and had conveyed a willingness to bump it to $100 million.

If Sandoval indeed leaves San Francisco for Boston for an identical or slightly higher offer, you have to wonder if the 28-year-old third baseman really did have a desire to part ways with the Giants even before the bidding began, perhaps hurt or angered by the three-year, $40 million offer they made before the season began.