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Red Sox setting up for busy offseason

Is the Panda worth the price?

In need of a third baseman, the Red Sox will undoubtedly kick the tires on World Series hero Pablo Sandoval, though there’s some question as to whether Boston would give the Kung Fu Panda the years and salary he’s seeking.

Sandoval’s agent told the San Francisco Chronicle he was seeking a six-year deal for his 28-year-old client, a term that is sure to raise red flags in the offices at 4 Yawkey Way, especially considering Sandoval’s body type, which does not project to hold up over time. Sandoval would be 34 at the end of a six-year deal.

ESPN Insider Keith Law, for one, thinks Sandoval offers good long-term value.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the ZiPS forecast for Sandoval,” writes Law in his corner infielders free-agent buyer's guide. “I thought my own scouting reports would be far more optimistic, but we lined up pretty well, and I believe Sandoval offers more upside than most free agents in this class because he's just 28 and has room to improve his conditioning. The downside risk here seems more limited by those same factors, and by his consistent production the last three years. He's too young to see a sudden loss of skill, like a drop in bat speed, and despite his body, he moves fairly well over at third base.”

The switch-hitting Sandoval batted .279 with 16 homers and 73 RBIs in 157 regular-season games and .366 in the postseason with seven doubles and five RBIs, including four during a seven-game World Series win against Kansas City.

He’s had consistent production, but has never hit more than 25 homers or driven in more than 85 runs in his seven-year career.

The Giants have made it a priority to get him re-signed, and quickly, but if talks snag the third baseman will listen to other suitors.

Should the Red Sox be among them?

Truck Day, Grapefruit schedule set

BOSTON -- Ninety-nine days.

That’s how long it will be before that first harbinger of another baseball season, the southbound departure of the Red Sox equipment truck from Fenway Park, is scheduled to take place.

Truck Day, for better or worse in these parts, shares equal billing with that traditional signpost of spring, the day pitchers and catchers report. The truck is scheduled to leave Feb. 12, headed for the team’s training complex in Fort Myers, Florida. Pitchers and catchers are due to report on Feb. 20, with the first workout scheduled for the next day.

Position players join the pitchers and catchers for the first full-squad workout on Feb. 25, according to the Sox, who on Wednesday released the team’s spring training schedule.

The traditional college doubleheader with Northeastern and Boston College is scheduled for March 3 (single admission). Two days later, on March 5, the Sox are scheduled to take a short bus ride down Daniels Parkway to Hammond Stadium to open the Grapefruit League schedule against the Minnesota Twins and their new manager, Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.

The spring-training home opener will be March 6 against the Miami Marlins. (Will Giancarlo Stanton make the trip, and will he still be wearing a Marlins uniform?) That will be the first of 16 Grapefruit League games scheduled to be played at JetBlue Park by the Sox, who will break camp April 4 after playing the Twins at Hammond Stadium.

The Sox are scheduled to open the regular season April 6 in Philadelphia against the National League Phillies. Dress rehearsals against the Phils are scheduled March 15 in Clearwater (split-squad) and March 22 (The Jet).

The Sox are scheduled to play New York teams four times in the span of nine days: a visit to Port St. Lucie to play the Mets on March 8, a trip to Tampa to play the Yankees on March 11, the Yankees at the Jet on March 13, and the Mets at the Jet on March 16. The next day, the Braves will be in for the team’s traditional St. Patrick’s Day game.

Fans can purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. Dec. 6 at JetBlue Park, or by phone at 888-REDSOX6, or at redsox.com. Fans needing ADA accessible seating may call 877-REDSOX9. Hearing impaired fans may call the Red Sox TTY line at (617) 226-6644. Befitting their last-place finish in 2014, the Sox are holding the line on ticket prices.

Pedroia postsurgery: 'Back to 100 percent'

BOSTON -- The day after winning his fourth Gold Glove, a jaunty Dustin Pedroia took to the airwaves Wednesday to pronounce himself “back to 100 percent” after September wrist surgery.

“Now that it’s fixed, it’s night and day,” Pedroia said, in between bantering on WEEI with ex-Sox infielder Lou Merloni and former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria about the relative difficulty of baseball compared to other sports.

“I can already tell that. There’s a lot of IOU’s to hand out to people, so I’m pretty excited about it,” Pedroia said.

[Brief synopsis of the difficulty debate: While Pedroia said he could run a slant pattern or hit a three-point shot if called upon, ask a football or basketball player to turn a double play and it would be “Barnum and Bailey out there.”]

Pedroia underwent surgery on his left wrist Sept. 11 for what the team called a “first dorsal compartment release and a tenosynovectomy,” on a tendon in the wrist that had developed inflammation and scar tissue. The surgery is designed to restore normal range of motion in the wrist, something that Pedroia lacked since injuring the wrist after being upended at second base while turning a double play in the team’s home opener.

It was the second major surgery Pedroia had on his hand in two years, having torn the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb in the 2013 season opener. The wrist injury proved even more problematic, as Pedroia posted career lows in every meaningful offensive category, including batting average (.278), home runs (7), RBIs (53), stolen bases (6) and OPS (.712). It did not impact his defense -- he committed a career-low two errors while his range factor was a career best 4.94.

“It was just frustrating,” Pedroia said of his struggles at the plate.

“The year before, I found a way to perform, playing nicked up. The year before it was a loose feeling -- I tore that ligament in my thumb and everything just felt loose, so I was able to figure it out and let the ball travel more and just try to slap balls the other way and get hits and not try to drive the ball.

“This year it was more, I was restricted. I didn’t have any motion. It was so swollen and tight all year, I couldn’t get a feel of how to get through it. It was tough. I fought it all year.”

Pedroia, 31, said he already he has begun his offseason workouts, something that he was unable to do last winter because of the thumb surgery.

“I feel great,” he said. “I’m back to 100 percent. I’m doing all my lifts and everything. My rehab’s going good. I