FORT MYERS, Fla.— Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski says he is not concerned about Pablo Sandoval’s weight.

After agreeing to a $95 million, five-year contract with the Red Sox, Sandoval hit .245 with a .292 on-base percentage and .366 slugging percentage – all career lows. He started just 122 games at third base, well below his career high of 150 in 2014 for San Francisco, and his range in the field appeared limited. He also abandoned switch-hitting during the season after going 2 for 41 (.049) with 12 strikeouts from the right side.

“He’s always been a big guy,” Dombrowski said Monday. “He has one of those bodies that is not a svelte body, and I’ve been around other people in that regards. Our people here, once he reported the first day, he did drills, they said he moved around great, better than he did last year at the end of the season.

“You could tell he was in better shape. So, no, I don’t have any concerns more so than I would with anybody else, other than we just have to realize you’re always going to have to stay with him because you can’t let that slip, the work ethic that he’s had this winter. And I think he’s prepared to not let that slip because I think he’s committed to coming back and having a very good season for us. So, no, not really. He’s got one of those bodies – they call him Panda for a reason – and really he’s the same as he’s been throughout his whole career.”

Boston went 78-84 and finished last in the AL East for the second straight season. Dombrowskl said a “constant flow of people” from the organization visited Sandoval throughout the offseason to monitor his work, including Manager John Farrell and senior vice president of player personnel Allard Baird.

“It’s not like he left Oct. 1 and we didn’t see him until he arrived,” Dombrowski said.


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