A former White Sox player will have one more chance to revive his career.
As first reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, shortstop Tim Anderson is in agreement with the Los Angeles Angels on a minor league deal. He will attend Spring Training as a non-roster invite.
Anderson, 31, most recently signed a one-year deal with the Marlins ahead of the 2024 season, though didn’t make it to the end of his contract. The former 17th overall pick in the 2013 draft appeared in just 65 games with Miami, hitting an abysmal .214/.237/.226 with a 27 wRC+ and -1.4 fWAR. Given his rapid decline, the Marlins designated Anderson for assignment on July 2 and brought up rookie Xavier Edwards.
Despite hoping for a bounceback, TA continued his downward trend after slashing .245./286./296 during his final season with the White Sox. In that 2023 campaign, he recorded just one home run and 25 RBI while accumulating a 60 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR and -2.0 bWAR in 123 games. It was a far cry from his previous campaigns that led to the team’s former sparkplug hitting a .282/.312/.422 with 98 homers, 338 RBI, 117 stolen bases, and .735 OPS over his eight seasons on the South Side.
Considered one of the key faces of the franchise, Anderson earned his fair share of accolades over the years. The Alabama native was selected to two American League All-Star teams, (2021-22; starter in ’22), won an AL Silver Slugger Award (2020), and led the league with a .335 average (2019). He hit .300 or better and finished in the Top 5 of the AL batting title race in three consecutive seasons from 2019-21.
The road to seeing regular action in the major leagues won’t be easy for Anderson. The Angels are expected to favor Zach Neto as their everyday shortstop after their 13th overall pick in 2022 turned in a solid rookie campaign. Elsewhere around the diamond, third baseman Anthony Rendon cannot seem to keep himself on the diamond, leading to potential opportunities at the hot corner or second base if the team decides to slide over Luis Rengifo. Overall, it’s a low-risk move for the Angels, who will hope to catch lightning in a bottle and see if Anderson can return to his former self.
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Featured Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
