It doesn’t sound like the talk about Pablo Sandoval’s weight is going away any time soon.
The Boston Red Sox third baseman arrived at spring training Sunday (technically early), and there didn’t appear to be much difference in his weight.
Red Sox management claimed at the end of last season and over the offseason that Sandoval was asked to shed weight, something the third baseman refuted Sunday when meeting with reporters.
New Red Sox president Sam Kennedy spoke Monday morning on WEEI’s “The Dennis and Callahan Morning Show,” and while he wouldn’t comment on specifics, he sure made it sound like Sandoval was expected to arrive at Fort Myers in better shape.
“As it relates to player conditioning, let me be very, very clear,” Kennedy said on WEEI Radio. “John Farrell, Torey Lovullo, the entire medical staff, the training staff, they meet with each and every player at the end of the season. They have an exit interview and they go through what the workout plan is going to be for the offseason. So there are expectations. Players are expected to come into camp ready to go and ready to perform. And if they’re not, they need to be held accountable throughout the course of the season. Dave (Dombrowski), Mike Hazen, those guys will deal with these issues as they come up throughout the course of the season.”
Kennedy avoided any direct references to Sandoval’s physical condition, but he did stress the Red Sox would demand accountability.
“At the end of the day, I’m not going to get into individual conversations between guys down in the clubhouse. They’ll handle that,” Kennedy added. “The message I want to deliver is there is an expectation for guys to be held accountable and to come into camp in shape and to be ready to go. And I do believe that that message was clearly delivered and will continue to be delivered.”
Thumbnail photo via John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
