The Boston Red Sox have signed so many rehabbing pitchers in the last two seasons that it's difficult to keep track of them all. One of their rehab candidates is expected to be ready to pitch by the start of the 2026 season.
The Red Sox signed Patrick Sandoval to a two-year, $18.25 million deal before the 2025 season. The starting pitcher was non-tendered by his former team, the Los Angeles Angels, after he underwent Tommy John surgery that kept him on the sidelines for all of the 2025 slate.
Like a few of the Sox's other signings of recovering pitchers in the last few years, they expected Sandoval to be able to pitch in the second half of the 2025 season. Some setbacks in his recovery prevented his Red Sox debut, but he could have a place in the starting rotation this coming season.
Since Boston knew Sandoval would be out of commission for most of the 2025 season, he's due most of his $18.25 million contract in 2026. The Red Sox paid Sandoval $5.5 million last season and he'll make the rest, $12.75 million, this coming year. His salary increase is one of the many factors contributing to a rather drastic increase in Boston's payroll before it makes any offseason acquisitions — Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell ad Garrett Crochet's contract extensions will kick in and nine players are due for arbitration raises in 2026.
Red Sox fans may have forgotten Patrick Sandoval, who is expected to be healthy for the 2026 season
Hopefully Sandoval can live up to his salary hike. The lefty posted a 5.08 ERA with 81 strikeouts and 35 walks over 79.2 innings before his surgery in 2024. He's shown flashes of excellent work in his six-year career, however, like in 2023 when he clocked a 2.91 ERA with 151 strikeouts and 60 walks over 148.2 frames.
There are some elements of Sandoval's game that the Red Sox may be able to improve. The 148.2 innings he pitched in 2023 are the most he's ever thrown in a single season in his career, and Boston's rotation needs length more than anything. Sandoval's command could use some work, as he posted a 24th-percentile walk percentage in 2024 and owns a career strikeout-to-walk rate of 2.24. He boasts a six-pitch arsenal, but Boston's pitching coaching staff may be able to refine it so he uses only his best pitches to get better results.
Given that he missed his chance for a Red Sox debut in 2025, it's hard to say where Sandoval will land in their rotation with Crochet, an improved Brayan Bello, free agent or trade additions and multiple top pitching prospects in the mix for spots. Hopefully, Sandoval makes the cut and a sign-and-stash deal works out for Boston.