Patrick Sandoval Was Shocked by Angels Decision to Non-Tender Him

Former Los Angeles Angels pitcher Patrick Sandoval was surprised when he found out the team he had called home for the last six seasons chose to non-tender him. Though Sandoval expected to stay in Anaheim, he was instead thrown into the free agency market for the first time in his career.
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“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Sandoval told Mass Live's Chris Cotillo in a recent conversation. “I got a call like two minutes before the tender deadline. My agent had let me know that they decided not to tender me. I didn’t really know how to feel.
"I understood, me coming back from injury, they might not want to pay me that money to just sit and rehab for a year. And they have the right to do that. But the whole free agent experience was insane. You're not expecting it.
“I’m thinking I still have two more years until I get that opportunity to choose which team I want to play for. The whole recruiting process or whatever you want to call it, it kind of brought me back to like the high school days of having colleges come and talk to you.”
While the Angels' decision to non-tender Sandoval was surprising, especially for a team that didn't have very reliable arms, the southpaw found a new home with the Boston Red Sox.
Sandoval revealed he underwent an internal brace procedure, rather than what was originally speculated to be Tommy John surgery. The left-hander has already begun his throwing program, making good pace for him to return in the second half of the season.
The Red Sox have used the offseason to strengthen their rotation, adding ace Garrett Crochet, World Series champion Walker Buehler, and Sandoval.
Buehler had a similar experience as Sandoval. The right-hander had only ever known the Los Angeles Dodgers, but entered free agency and wasn't even extended a qualifying offer.
Like Sandoval, there were teams that were hesitant to sign Buehler, who struggled in the regular season and already had his second Tommy John surgery.
Nevertheless, both Sandoval and Buehler get to start a new chapter of their careers at Fenway Park.
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