The newly crowned World Series champion San Francisco Giants launched their off-season on Monday by extending free agent Pablo Sandoval a $15.3 million one-year qualifying contract offer. The move is a mere formality, with Sandoval virtually certain to test his value on the open market, seeking a rich multi-year deal that could still be with San Francisco. Sandoval, a career .294 hitter over seven major league seasons -- all with the Giants -- has been an even bigger force in the playoffs. The switch-hitting third baseman owns a .344 average with six home runs and 20 runs-batted-in over 39 career post-season games.