Sandoval designated for assignment

“Pandamania” is over in Boston before it ever really began.

The Red Sox designated third baseman Pablo Sandoval for assignment Friday, cutting their losses on the $95 million free agent who was never productive or healthy enough to replicate the popularity — or World Series success — he had in San Francisco.

The Red Sox have 10 days to trade or release the 30-year-old Sandoval, who was activated from the disabled list (inner ear infection) and returned from an injury-rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket. Unless they can find a taker for part of Sandoval’s salary, the Red Sox will have paid $95 million for a total of 161 games, 575 at-bats, 136 hits and 14 homers — none of them in the postseason.

“It really came down to us feeling we were not a better club if he was at the major-league level,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “From a playing perspective, Pablo just wasn’t playing as well as we’d hoped.”

Dombrowski said a minorleague assignment was discussed with Sandoval and his agent, but Sandoval declined that option in a conversation Thursday.

Both manager John Farrell and Dombrowski said that Sandoval, the 2012 World Series MVP, showed a lot of improvement during spring training after shoulder surgery caused him to miss all but three games last season. It just didn’t translate enough on the field in the regular season.

“We just felt the objective evaluation was (that) we had other alternatives in-house,” Farrell said.

Dubbed “Kung Fu Panda” while in San Francisco, Sandoval managed just 21 hits in 32 games this season.