Two-time MLB All-Star Tim Anderson still looking for a home
Now that the Super Bowl is over, America’s game (or what used to be), baseball, is getting started. Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training this past weekend with the other position players arriving starting yesterday (Wednesday) across the 30-team MLB camps. With many of the sport’s mega-stars changing teams this winter, including the Yankees trading for outfielder Juan Soto and the Los Angeles Dodgers signing pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani to a mindblowing 10-year, $700 million free-agent contract.
But there are other notable free-agents still available, including shortstop Tim Anderson, who was one of the few Black ball players on Major League rosters at the start of last season. The percentage was a low 6.1% on Opening Day. According to a USA Today study, just 58 of the 945 players on the active, injured and restricted lists were Black, the lowest percentage since 1955.
The two-time All-Star (2021, 2022), 2019 batting champion and 2020 Silver Slugger Award winner, Anderson is there for the taking. The 30-year-old player from college football country, Tuscaloosa, Alabama (home of the University of Alabama), had a subpar 2023 season by his standards, batting just .245 in 493 at-bats with one home run in 123 games. The result was that the Chicago White Sox, which drafted Anderson in the first round (No. 17) in 2013 out of East Central Community College, declined the $14 million team option on the final year of his contract.
Although he possesses excellent range, Anderson isn’t viewed as a good defensive shortstop and the White Sox decided to move on and develop another player to man the position. They are rebuilding and considered the financial ramifications of keeping Anderson for one more year. He had 14 errors playing shortstop a season ago.
However, Anderson does have value for some teams. He is an experienced leadoff hitter who uses the entire field. That ability might make him more suited to bat No. 2 in a lineup to move the leadoff along the basepaths. A reasonable assumption is he will bounce back and once again bat for a high average.
Sticking with the theme of two, a move to second base might also help. Shortstops who have elite range like Anderson usually commit more errors than players who don’t get to as many balls, as tough plays often lead to bad throws. Maybe a move to second base where the throws are easier can resolve this issue. He played two games at second last season. While learning the pivot at second base is crucial, being willing to make the switch is worth a try for Anderson to maybe improve his marketability.
Anderson has been linked to the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers as possible landing places. While he has been involved in some incidents (fights, suspensions), his charitable efforts have been well documented around Chicago. It’s possible Anderson could be starting to decline, but changes in how he is used could make him a key contributor somewhere else.
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