The Tim Anderson era in Miami has officially ended. Marlins on-air personality Craig Mish reported that Anderson was designated for assignment this morning, ending a short and ultimately unsuccessful tenure in Miami.
Anderson’s struggles are not a new development. He has been in a free fall since roughly the middle of 2022, and he is somehow getting even worse as time passes. There was much debate this past offseason regarding whether the White Sox should have picked up his $14 million team option for 2024 and given him one last chance to redeem himself. They ultimately decided not to. Chicago signed Paul DeJong as his replacement, one of the few moves this past offseason that panned out for the White Sox.
Anderson signed a one-year/$5 million contract with the Marlins this offseason after eight seasons in Chicago, and some thought a change of scenery was what he needed to get back on track. After all, the end of his stint in Chicago was rocky, and he appeared to be healthier than he had been in a long time entering this season. Other players have benefitted by switching teams, and going to Miami marked a clean slate. Unfortunately for Anderson, it did not play out that way.
As bad as he was towards the end of his time in Chicago, he was even worse in Miami. Per fWAR, Anderson was the seventh-worst player in MLB this season. The former batting champion was hitting just .214 this season and was 70% worse than MLB average offensively. He had just three extra-base hits in 241 plate appearances, including no home runs. His decline is startling, considering how good of a hitter he was at his peak. Anderson used to be routinely among the best hitters in baseball in terms of batting average. He is now one of the worst.
His underlying numbers are an ugly sight as well. There is no offensive category in which Anderson was even league average this season, per Baseball Savant. He is in the 21st percentile or worse in every hitting stat. Given the Marlins fairly minimal commitment to him and his poor performance, it is not all that surprising that they finally pulled the plug and decided to part ways. He is following the same trajectory as former teammate José Abreu, whom the Astros designated for assignment earlier this season due to poor performance.
Tim Anderson’s future from here is uncertain. He is only 31 and should have something left in the tank in theory. Another team might take a chance on him on a minor league deal hoping he can recapture his magic. Going overseas to Japan or Korea to revitalize his career could be another option. In any case, Anderson’s fall off has been a sad sight. He went from an All-Star caliber player to one of the worst players in baseball in just a few years. It would be a great comeback story if he could rejuvenate his career, but this could be the end of the line for him in MLB.
