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The reporter who wrote a story that mentioned Sandoval’s declining defensive stats was Christopher Smith of MassLive. Here’s some of what Smith mentioned in the article:
Smith added “things aren’t looking promising” this season for Sandoval, meaning he’s played poorly in spring training.
He also ranked the worst among qualified major league third basemen tied with Yunel Escobar for defensive runs saved (-11) in 2015. From 2009-14, Sandoval was at -1.
Sandoval, 29, made headlines when he showed up sporting a big gut when players first arrived to camp. His poor play on the field has only continued the criticism. In 21 plate appearances this spring, he has only four hits (.190 average).
He’s also played poor defensively, leading some to believe he might be replaced by Travis Shaw, 25, who in nine games this spring is hitting .480 with two homers and nine RBIs.
