The Boston Red Sox's decision to sign Patrick Sandoval to a two-year, $18.5 million deal while he was recovering from Tommy John surgery would have been dubious if we were talking about any other franchise, but this gambit was nothing new for Craig Breslow. James Paxton (who predated Breslow), Liam Hendriks, and Lucas Giolito were all signed to multi-year deals while injured.
On one hand, the idea makes sense. You pay a guy a small sum to oversee his rehab and recovery, and then get him on a discount for the following the year when he'll theoretically be completely healthy. It may not be the new Moneyball tactic, but the logic is sound.
Unfortunately, sometimes logic doesn't always guarantee results. Sandoval hasn't pitched at all in Boston since signing, and he hasn't appeared in a major-league game in over two years. He finally began his rehab assignment earlier in June, but multiple setbacks have kept the veteran southpaw from making good on his contract.
And now, it appears that he may never get that chance. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Red Sox are currently gauging the trade market for Sandoval.
Looks like teams are keeping an eye on Patrick Sandoval, with his rehab clock about to expire, per @ChrisCotillo:
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) June 29, 2026
“According to sources, teams are planning on scouting Sandoval’s final rehab start in preparation for the Red Sox potentially being willing to move him in a trade.” pic.twitter.com/O6T2rORnfy
Patrick Sandoval's impending rehab clock makes a Red Sox trade more likely than not
The desire to trade Sandoval isn't too surprising; the Red Sox, despite a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees this past weekend, remain far removed from the American League playoff picture and figure to sell off veteran pieces at the deadline in an effort to retool for 2027 beyond. The lefty's rental contract worth $12.75 million is a perfect candidate to be swapped for younger, controllable talent.
Of course, the issue will be with finding a taker. Sandoval was once one of the most exciting up-and-coming arms in the AL, accruing 5.3 bWAR between 2022-23 while pitching to a 2.91 ERA in the latter campaign. Now, he's more than two years removed from MLB action, with just seven rehab starts to his name.
Two of those outings came in April before he was shut down again due to bicep tightness. In his five appearances since, he's tossed 13.1 innings and recorded a 2.70 ERA. The results are admirable, but the sample is so small that it's hard to imagine another team willingly taking on his bloated salary without require some type of additional compensation (either money or prospects).
Unfortunately, the Red Sox are up against the clock with this decision, as Sandoval's 30-day maximum window for his rehab assignment comes to an end on July 4. At that point, the organization needs to add him to the 40-man and 26-man rosters, or trade or release him.
They could opt to let him take a few starts in Boston to audition for other teams, but that also risks him tanking his value even further with some bad performances. More likely, a small deal will be struck within the next week, with the Red Sox sending Sandoval and money out to a contending team in exchange for a low-level prospect.
That's not exactly the return on investment Breslow was hoping for back in 2024, but the Sox might as well make the most of a bad situation here.
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