Ah, spring training. The crack of the bat, the scent of chewing gum....and Pablo Sandoval's belly.
The Boston Red Sox hit the field in Fort Myers, Florida, for day one of spring training on Sunday, and an incredibly unflattering photo of the team's third baseman and prized free agent acquisition of a year ago was all anyone was talking about.
Sandoval had an awful first year as a member of the Red Sox, hitting just .245, the lowest of his career, and socking only 10 homers, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2008. Many people pointed to Sandoval's weight as the culprit, as even though the man they call "Kung Fu Panda" had always been on the bigger side, his weight seemed to balloon in 2015. It got to the point of manager John Farrell and members of the front office all stating that Sandoval had to lose weight to have a successful 2016.
Well, that message fell on deaf ears. Sandoval's gut was hanging out of his shirt as he warmed up with teammates on Sunday, and when asked about his weight, he gave a strange answer.
We don't want to say it's obvious that Sandoval didn't pay much attention to his fitness this offseason, but, a picture truly does speak 1,000 words here.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
[Via ESPN]