I'm skeptical about Sandoval for the duration of this contract. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Middlebrooks failed (or couldn't stay healthy). The Sox can't afford to have two bad years in a row from a fan and PR standpoint. While Cecchini is a highly regarded prospect the Sox don't have time to wait, especially after Bogaerts and Bradley in 2014. Nothing is guaranteed with rookies. They desperately needed another let handed bat. The 3B free agent pool was limited. Sandoval just happened to be standing there with his money bag open. Also moving to the AL where he can ultimately DH had to be part of his evaluation process.
Sandoval may be a bad financial deal in the long run. But I'll bet Sox management thought about the cost related to another bad season and moving forward. After the 2012 debacle the Sox stopped selling out for the first time in years early in 2013. Fans were skeptical about the off season acquisititions. Fortunately the Sox caught lightning in a bottle.
I agree with the Mo Vaughn perspective. Signing, big, overweight guys heading into their 30s concern me. Ortiz is a miracle. I thought he was done in 09 when he started slow and struggled against lefties.