Tim Anderson finally has a new home as he has signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Miami Marlins, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. He now has a fresh start in Miami and is reunited with former teammate and White Sox third baseman Jake Burger. The Marlins contract offer was initially reported just a couple days ago, and he decided to sign with them for more than expected.
The 17th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, Anderson had spent all eight seasons of his MLB career with the White Sox until now. A two-time All-Star, Anderson was the American League batting champion in 2019 and won the Silver Slugger Award in 2020. From 2019 to 2022, Anderson slashed .318/.347/.474 in 374 games. He also rose to the occasion in the playoffs, hitting .485 with a 1.030 OPS in a small sample size in 2020 and 2021. It did not take long for Anderson to become one of the faces of the franchise and a true success story for the White Sox organization, given that he was drafted and developed by the team. He looked to be an integral piece of the White Sox core, and some pondered if he would be on the South Side for his entire career.
Unfortunately, Anderson’s performance has fallen off significantly in recent years, capped off by an abysmal 2023, the worst season of his career. He slashed just .245/.286/.296 this past season with just one home run and was worth -2.0 bWAR and -0.5 fWAR, a far cry from his past production. Anderson’s groundball percentage was a whopping 61.1%, the highest of his career and the highest in all of baseball. In addition, his flyball percentage was the lowest of his career, as was his hard-hit percentage and sprint speed. His numbers trended in the wrong direction in virtually every category last season, which made it no surprise that the White Sox declined his $14 million team option for 2024. The team decided to let him become a free agent instead of keeping him, a decision that would have been unfathomable just a few years ago.
The reason for his struggles has become a debate among White Sox and baseball fans. It is most likely due to injury, as he suffered a left knee sprain in early April of 2023 which derailed his entire season. In an interview with Scott Merkin of MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season regarding his bad season, Anderson himself said, “Obviously, injuries. I had an MCL injury…My front leg, so that kind of messed with my hitting.” He also dealt with off-the-field issues, which certainly have not benefited his performance on the field. However you want to attribute his struggles, the fact is that 2023 was a disaster of a season.
However, Anderson is only 30 years old and will not turn 31 in July. Assuming he is fully healthy, he likely has something left in the tank and has a fresh start in Miami. He has a lot to prove. Gone are the days of job security and future paydays. He is playing for his career. I, for one, hope he succeeds. Thank you for everything, TA.
