The White Sox made the polarizing decision to let long-time shortstop and face of the franchise Tim Anderson walk out the door this past offseason when they declined his $14 million team option for 2024 in favor of a $1 million buyout. He ended up signing with the Marlins on a one-year, $5 million contract later in the offseason. Some White Sox fans, including myself, thought they made the wrong decision by letting him go. After all, he battled injuries for most of last season, and he even admitted that they played a role in his poor 2023 season. A bounce-back season was at least possible. That has not been the case.
Anderson's Brutal 2024 Season
As bad as Anderson's final season in Chicago was, he has been even worse in Miami. The former batting champion is hitting just .211 this season and has three extra-base hits in 120 plate appearances. Among 170 qualified MLB hitters this season, Anderson ranks 162nd in on-base percentage, 168th in slugging percentage, and 168th in OPS. He has been one of baseball's worst hitters, and there is not a single offensive metric where he has been even average in. Anderson is right near Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi on the MLB leaderboards regarding offensive futility, and we all know how bad they have been.
Deeper Dive Into The Numbers
Looking deeper into the numbers, it makes sense why Anderson is struggling so badly. His 30.0 K%, 33.2 whiff%, and 64.1 groundball% this season are all the highest of his MLB career. Conversely, his paltry 1.3 barrel% and 29.5 sweet spot% are career lows. In simple terms, Anderson is swinging and missing more than ever before. And when he is making contact, it is softer than ever, and he is pounding the ball straight into the ground. His 2024 numbers represent a stark decline from a guy who put up several highly productive seasons in Chicago during his peak.
Anderson Vs. His Replacement In Chicago
Anderson's replacement in Chicago, Paul DeJong, has not been all that great either this season. But there is no denying that he has outperformed Anderson at a lower salary. DeJong already has three home runs, his OPS over 100 points higher than Anderson's, and he is a better defender as well. DeJong is simply a placeholder at shortstop until top prospect Colson Montgomery is ready. However, it looks like the White Sox also made the correct decision to choose him over Anderson in the short term.
Final Word
When I am wrong about something, I will own it. I wanted to give Anderson one last season in Chicago to see if he could turn things around. He had a track record of being an above-average player, and I thought he still had something left in the tank. The White Sox disagreed with me and appeared to have been correct. Anderson is only 30, but his days as a productive major leaguer might already be over. It is still relatively early in the season, but he better turn things around soon for his sake. At this rate, he might not even get an MLB contract offer this coming offseason.
