Giants extend qualifying offer to Pablo Sandoval

This isn't a surprise, but it's still what passes for news in the post-Series, pre-awards doldrums. The Giants will extend the qualifying offer to free agent Pablo Sandoval, which means he can choose to accept a one-year, $15.3 million offer from the Giants or become a free agent. He will become a free agent.

If another team signs Sandoval, the Giants will get an extra pick at the end of the first round. The Red Sox have been rumored and rumored and rumored and rumored to be after Sandoval, and that was before the postseason was over. They're basically Pepe Le Pew, and Sandoval is the cat who walked under the freshly painted bench.

If it seems like the qualifying offer was a foregone conclusion, don't forget the 2012 weirdness, in which the Giants failed to extend the qualifying offer to Angel Pagan, which allowed other teams to pursue him without worrying about draft-pick compensation, which ended up costing the Giants more money.

Also of note is that the Giants won't get draft-pick compensation for Michael Morse, Sergio Romo, or Ryan Vogelsong, should they sign elsewhere. Because he was acquired in a midseason trade, there was no choice for the Giants to make on Jake Peavy.

Sandoval has until November 10 to decide on just how he will decline the qualifying offer. Possibly by spelling "NO" with seashells on an empty beach? He's got time.

They won't love you like we've loved you, Pablo. Forget about the constant stream of talk radio and Internet-comment bashing that started the second you were in a slump, and remember the panda hats. Remember the panda hats!