Pablo Sandoval Loses Starting Job to Guy Making $17 Million Less This Season

Travis Shaw named starting third baseman for @RedSox. Defense was deciding factor. Pablo Sandoval will try to earn more playing time.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 31, 2016

Pablo Sandoval is in the second year of a 5-year, $95 million contract* with the Boston Red Sox. Today it was announced that the rotund third baseman who will make $17,600,000 this season has lost the starting job to 25-year old Travis Shaw. The Kent State product appeared in 65 games last season for Boston. Shaw will make $515,000 this season according to Baseball-Reference.

This is likely a last-ditch motivational effort by manager John Farrell to get Sandoval to lose some weight. Sandoval showed up to Spring Training looking pretty much exactly like he always looks and then got hurt diving for a ball which only happens to fat people. Shaw, who is listed at 6’4″, 230-pounds, will never be injured.

*with a club option in 2020 which we can presumably never mention again