The San Francisco Giants are hoping to lock down free agent third baseman Pablo Sandoval, but the "Kung Fu Panda" is looking for a deal that is six years or longer.
The Giants are putting free agents such as Jake Peavy and Ryan Vogelsong on the backburner for now and are hoping to re-sign Sandoval, who has been with the organization since signing as an amateur free agent in 2003.
"Pablo is 28," his agent Gustavo Vasquez told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He is still young. Maybe if he was 30 or 31 we could talk about four or five years. But he's 28. He deserves more than that."
There have been reports that Sandoval has negotiated with a few teams and would sign quickly if offered a deal that he really likes. Sandoval was given a $15.3 million one-year qualifying offer from the Giants, but he will turn that down come the deadline on Monday.
The Giants remain in contact with the switch-hitting agile third baseman, but there is no guarantee he will stay in San Francisco despite winning his third World Series with the team last week.
"We've engaged, but I'll leave it at that," general manager Brian Sabean said Thursday, according to ESPN. "We're three days in, so that's the best answer I can give."
Sandoval hit .279 with 16 homers and 73 RBI in the regular season through 157 games and then continued to pad his solid October resume by hitting .366 this postseason with seven doubles and five RBI.
Sandoval hit .429 in the seven-game World Series win over the Kansas City Royals and hit three doubles while driving in four runs. Sandoval also squeezed the final out on a pop up to third base to secure San Francisco's World Series win in what could have been his final play as a member of the Giants.
The two-time All-Star has spent all seven of his MLB seasons in San Francisco and took home the World Series MVP Award in 2012, but he wasn't open to talking about giving the Giants a hometown discount.
"I don't want to talk about that. It's not my job," he said. "I've got an agent. He focuses on that. When he's got a deal right, I just want to talk about it."
Still, Sandoval said at his third World Series ticker tape parade in five years last Friday that he would like to remain in San Francisco.
"I'd love to be here," Sandoval said.
It remains to be seen where Sandoval will end up when the hot stove cools off, but for now he is still in talks to remain a member of the Giants.
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