Red Sox agree to deal with Pablo Sandoval

(October 23, 2014 - Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)

Multiple sources are reporting that the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a five-year, approximately $100 million dollar contract with free-agent third basemen Pablo Sandoval.

The news leaked shortly after Boston made it's first big acquisition of the hot stove season, inking their former top prospect Hanley Ramirez to a 5-year/$90 million deal.

Despite having a larger offer on the table from the San Diego Padres, many speculated that the Sandoval would leave San Francisco to join the Boston Red Sox.

Sandoval had dinner last week with David Ortiz, before meeting with the Red Sox ownership the following day. According to Sandoval's brother and co-agent, the three-time World Series champion was shown "first-class attentiveness" by the organization.

The "Kung Fu Panda" is a career .294/.346/.465 hitter in seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, where he collected 106 home runs and 462 RBIs. Even more impressive are his career numbers in the post season, where he owns an eye-opening .344/.389/.545 batting line, including .426/.460/.791 in the Fall Classic.

After starting off the 2012 World Series with three home runs in Game 1, Sandoval would go on to win his first World Series MVP award:

After spending $192 million combined on Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, the Red Sox are still going to be faced with some questions before heading to Ft. Myers in February to begin Spring Training.

Many suspect that Sandoval will take over at third base, where Will Middlebrooks has yet to live up to his potential since taking over the job in 2012. Although Boston allegedly had some small concerns with Sandoval's weight, they reportedly offered contract incentives for him to keep off whatever pounds he may lose over the course of the deal. It may stand that they look to move Sandoval into a DH role after a couple seasons, or perhaps even first base if Mike Napoli leaves in free agency next winter.

Hanley Ramirez has spent most of his career on the left side of the infield, mainly shortstop, but had expressed a willingness to change positions to increase his value during the off-season. The Red Sox have shown interest in playing him in left field, which would almost certainly be the end of Yoenis Cespedes' short stay in Boston. Cespedes was acquired at last years' trading deadline, but seems a lock to test out the free agency waters next winter over negotiating a contract extension.

However, with major holes in their pitching rotation it may be that the Sox look to keep Ramirez in the infield by trading young shortstop Xander Bogaerts in a deal for a starting pitcher. The Phillies have been quite outspoken in their bid to trade Cole Hamels in exchange for multiple top prospects, and with the surplus of young talent in Boston's minor leagues, they might be willing to package a deal around Bogaerts that would alleviate multiple issues.

Although they are still far from certain of what their lineup will look like come opening day, the Sox can now start to turn their focus to the depleted pitching staff after locking up two veteran bats.