When it comes to the baseball off-season and Pablo Sandoval, much of the news in recent years has centred around his battle to control his weight.

But this winter has been different for the 28-year-old third baseman, who signed a five-year, $95-million US contract with the Boston Red Sox in late November after winning his third World Series title in five years with San Francisco.

Now, the man affectionately known as "Kung Fu Panda," a career .294 hitter who batted .366 during the 2014 post-season, is garnering attention for his talent with a basketball.

No, there's no threat of the five-foot-11, 248-pound Venezuelan becoming a two-sport star, but Sandoval has shown a knack for draining a half-court shot … with his butt planted on the hardwood.

See below for the video evidence.