Red Sox not bothered by Panda's weight

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Are the Red Sox concerned about Pablo Sandoval's weight?

"No, [we're] not concerned about his weight," said Boston manager John Farrell. "There's a number of people that he's working with here to make sure that he's on the field every day, and that would be the case throughout the course of the regular season. We were well aware of Pablo's career and who he is as a person long before he signed here, and we're looking forward to getting him on the field and acclimating him onto this roster."

The only reason the question was even posed to Farrell is because there was some fretting in Boston's talk-show circuit earlier this week, when images of Sandoval participating in early-bird workouts were posted.

In truth, Sandoval is never going to look like the most physically fit athlete. He signed a five-year, $95 million contract with the Red Sox in November.

Video: All-Star third baseman Pablo Sandoval joins Red Sox

"Well, his body type hasn't changed since signing with us," said Farrell. "He's a guy that's converted from catcher to the third base position. He transitioned successfully at it a number of years ago.

"His body works for him. If he didn't perform to the level that he has, I don't know that we would have pursued him as a free agent. But he's here, he's ours, and we're extremely happy that he is."