MLB notes: Red Sox cut ties with third baseman Pablo Sandoval

Panda-mania is over in Boston before it ever really began. The Red Sox designated third baseman Pablo Sandoval for assignment on Friday, cutting their losses on the $95-million free agent who was never productive or healthy enough to replicate the popularity he had in San Francisco.

The Red Sox have seven days to trade or release the 30-year-old Sandoval, who was activated from the disabled list (inner ear infection) and returned from an injury rehab assignment with triple-A Pawtucket.

Unless they can find a taker for part of his salary, they will have paid $95 million for 161 games, 575 at-bats, 136 hits and 14 homers — and not a single one of them in the postseason.

“It really came down to us feeling we were not a better club if he was on our club at the major league level,” Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.

Dombrowski said conversations have been going on for the past few weeks with Red Sox ownership about Sandoval. He said a possibility of a minor league assignment was discussed with Sandoval and his agent, but that Sandoval declined that option in a conversation on Thursday.

Both manager John Farrell and Dombrowski said that Sandoval showed a lot of improvement during spring training after shoulder surgery caused him to miss all but three games last season.

It just didn’t translate enough on the field in the regular season.

“You’re talking about a lot of money. I give ownership a lot of credit that they’re willing to allow us to do this,” Dombrowski said. “Yet, I would also say from a playing perspective, Pablo just wasn’t playing as well as we’d hoped.”

Etc.

New York starting pitcher Michael Pineda is mulling over what could be season-ending surgery after being diagnosed with a partial ligament tear in his pitching elbow. General manager Brian Cashman also said that first baseman Greg Bird could require surgery for a right ankle issue that hasn’t responded to a cortisone shot.