Pablo Sandoval's days with the Boston Red Sox are all but over after the Red Sox designated Sandoval for assignment Friday:

The Red Sox signed Sandoval for five years and $95 million in November 2014. At the time, Sandoval had proved to be an above-average hitter -- he posted a 123 OPS+ for his career with the San Francisco Giants. Yet he never showed the same potency in Boston: In 161 games, he hit .237/.286/.360 (71 OPS+) while missing significant time due to injury.

Sandoval had most recently been on the shelf due to an ear infection. It was clear, however, that something was about to happen. That's because Sandoval had exhausted his rehab assignment, and could not be optioned to the minors without his consent. The Red Sox had a choice: Bring Sandoval back to the majors, or shed him from their roster. They chose the latter.

As such, the Red Sox will continue to look for a solution to their third-base problem. The current options on the 25-man roster include Tzu-Wei Lin and Deven Marrero. Lin has performed well over a small sample. The Red Sox also have Rafael Devers in the minors. He's 20 and hasn't played above Double-A, so pinning expectations on him seems foolhardy at best and reckless at worst.

It seems more likely, then, that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski goes outside the organization to find his next third baseman. Sandoval, meanwhile, is all but certain to be granted his release after he clears waivers.