Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval has been on a rehab assignment for over three weeks now. He is nearing activation but it’s possible that the Red Sox trade him instead. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that teams are planning to scout his next rehab start with the expectation that the Sox may be open to trade offers.
Sandoval, 29, was once a solid starter for the Angels. From 2021 to 2024, he gave the Halos 460 innings, allowing 3.80 earned runs per nine. His 10.2% walk rate was a bit high but his 22.6% strikeout rate was right around average while his 47.3% ground ball rate was quite strong.
He required internal brace surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in the summer of 2024. The Angels non-tendered him after that. The Sox scooped him up by signing him to a two-year deal with a guarantee of $18.25MM. Boston perhaps hoped for some contributions late in 2025 but they certainly were expecting that investment to pay off with a healthy Sandoval in 2026.
That hasn’t come to fruition yet, as multiple setbacks have kept Sandoval from returning to the big leagues. As mentioned, he could be finally on the verge of returning to the majors. He began a rehab assignment on June 5th and has made five rehab starts since then. The most recent one saw him get to 60 pitches over four innings for Triple-A Worcester yesterday.
A rehab assignment for a pitcher normally comes with a 30-day maximum. When a player is coming back from UCL surgery, the team can apply for a ten-day extension, as many as three times. That effectively means the rehab window can be extended to a total of 60 days.
Regardless, with the initial 30-day window almost up, Cotillo’s column suggests the Sox might be willing to trade Sandoval. There’s some logic to that. The Boston rotation is currently in strong position with Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Jake Bennett all pitching well.
The depth is arguably a bit light with guys like Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Johan Oviedo all on the 60-day IL. On the other hand, they have Brayan Bello in Triple-A. He was struggling badly earlier in the year but has looked decent since getting sent down and is much better than the sixth starter on most other clubs. Guys like Alec Gamboa and Eduardo Rivera are also pitching well for Worcester.
Even if the rotation wasn’t in good shape, there would be logic to the Sox making Sandoval available. Even after sweeping the Yankees over the weekend, the team is 36-46. That only puts them 4.5 games back of a playoff spot in the weak American League but there’s a decent shot they end up in seller position ahead of the deadline. Sandoval is an impending free agent, as his two-year deal will be up at season’s end.
Sandoval’s injury odyssey will surely give teams pause about his future. For what it’s worth, his numbers on his rehab assignment look somewhat like his previous work. Over his five recent starts, he has logged 13 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA, 20.8% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. He is making a hefty $12.75MM this year, as his contract was back-loaded with an eye on him providing more value in 2026 than in 2025. That leaves a bit more than $6MM still to be paid out.
Though Sandoval has a decent track record, clubs won’t be too eager to take on that kind of money for a guy who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues for two years. Perhaps the Sox would be willing to absorb some of that money in order to facilitate a deal. Teams around the league certainly need arms, with the injury bug biting the Cubs, Angels and plenty of others lately.
If a trade doesn’t come together, Sandoval would need to be placed back on the Boston 40-man roster when reinstated, as he is currently on the 60-day IL. He also cannot be optioned without his consent as a player with at least five years of service time, so he would need a spot on the active roster as well.
Photo courtesy of Rick Cinclair, Imagn Images
