Earlier on Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox announced they had released third baseman Pablo Sandoval, whom they had designated for assignment last week. Apparently it didn't take Sandoval long to find a new home -- a familiar one at that.

That's because Sandoval is reportedly returning to the San Francisco Giants on a minor-league deal, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com:

Presuming Sandoval passes his physical -- and, to be fair, it's not a given due to his injury woes in recent seasons -- he'll be joining their Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. His presence in the Giants organization is interesting for a couple reasons. Foremost, Sandoval enjoyed a great deal of success with the Giants, hitting for a 123 OPS+ over his seven seasons out west. He never found his footing in Boston, however, and finished his career with the Red Sox with a 72 mark.

The other reason Sandoval's presence is of note is because the Giants' current third baseman, Eduardo Nunez, is likely going to be traded between now and the July 31 deadline -- perhaps, even, to the Red Sox. Sandoval, then, could well be in line to take over at the hot corner for the Giants sooner than later.

Is that ideal? No, but the Giants aren't competing this season anyway. As such, they might as well find out if a reunion with Sandoval can help both parties. If not, it'll just be another sad act in a miserable play.