The White Sox may have declined Tim Anderson’s $14 million club option but Anderson and the front office have left the door open for a possible return.
On Monday Bruce Levine of 670’s The Score reported that the White Sox “will consider signing Tim Anderson down the road after he delves into free agency and sees his market value.”
This comes after general manager Chris Getz made the bold decision to let Anderson walk, despite Colson Montgomery still being a year away from being MLB-ready. The fact that the White Sox did not feel like Anderson was worth $14 million, is very telling.
Anderson has been the face of the franchise for the last several seasons, the White Sox need a placeholder for Montgomery, and the free-agent shortstop market is lackluster at best. Despite all of this Getz felt it was best to let him walk. That is the type of move the former regime probably would not have made.
It could also be an indication of what Anderson’s market value will be. Anderson has been adamant about wanting to be paid like a shortstop. However, he is coming off a down year so he will likely be hard-pressed to find the big money long-term deal that other former All-Star shortstops have gotten.
However, Anderson does have a solid resume. Two-time All-Stars and former batting champions do not grow on trees. There are plenty of teams that could be willing to take a flier on him. Anderson coming back on a cheaper deal to rebuild his stock and be a placeholder for Colson Montgomery could make sense for both parties.
Anderson also left the door open for a South Side reunion in a recent Instagram post thanking the organization and the fans.
In the post Anderson writes:
“If my time in Chicago is over, I want to thank Mr. Reinsdorf and the entire White Sox organization for the opportunity to start my career and play 8 years as your shortstop. I wish my teammates great success moving forward.”
That is a big “if” to start the post, meaning Anderson is keeping his options open.
The White Sox have plenty of holes to fill across the diamond, including second base. If he comes back on a cheaper deal and rebuilds his stock, Getz could extend him to be the White Sox next second baseman. Anderson said he would be open to moving to second base as long as he gets paid.
However, bringing Anderson back, even on a cheaper deal, would go against the culture change that the front office is trying to accomplish. Getz also told reporters on Tuesday that the team is looking to “improve our defensive play” to allow their pitchers to attack the zone more. Anderson’s defense certainly doesn’t fit that vision.
It’s hard to argue with blowing up a 101-loss team, even if it means having to kick some fan favorites to the curb so don’t expect the White Sox to actively pursue Anderson. But if the market is slow don’t be surprised if he returns on a cheaper deal.
