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The 2023 was a brutal one for the White Sox, who entered the year with postseason aspirations but found themselves as one of the leagues biggest sellers come the trade deadline. The club ultimately lost 101 games in 2023, their second 100-lo s Adley Rutschman Jersey campaign in six years. While the club is facing a host of problems, from a pitching staff stripped to the bone by midseason trades to , perhaps the biggest reason for concern about the clubs fortunes going forward is the fall from grace of franchise shortstop . Since breaking out during the 2019 season, Anderson has been a face of the franchise on the south side of Chicago. From 2019-2021, the young shortstop slashed an excellent .322/.349/.495 (126 wRC+) in 295 games while approaching a 20/20 campaign in both full seasons of that stretch. He led all qualified hitters in batting average during that stretch while playing a solid shortstop, and was a key piece of what looked to be a sustainable White Sox core for the future. Unfortunately, things started to come off the rails for both Chicago and Anderson himself in 2022. Andersons offense regre sed somewhat as he slashed .301/.339/.395 (110 wRC+). While he posted a career-best strikeout rate of just 15.7%, that improved contact did not make up for Andersons power outage, as he posted a career-low .093 ISO, the 18th-lowest figure of all players with as many plate appearances as him that season. To make matters worse, Anderson was limited to just 79 games by two separate IL stints for groin and finger injuries. While Anderson struggled to stay on the field, the White Sox faltered in his absence, going just 81-81 and mi sing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. After a downturn in performance for both club and player, both sides hoped for better days in 2023, but those days did not arrive. Amid the clubs worst season since their 106-lo s campaign in 1970, Anderson had far and away the worst season of his career. The 30-year-old slashed a paltry .245/.286/.296 in 524 trips to the plate, a figure thats 40% worse than league average by measure of wRC+. His wRC+, ISO, wOBA, and slugging percentage were all the worst in the majors among all qualified hitters, and his on-base percentage also ranked in the bottom five. Andersons brutal season has caused plenty of speculation regarding his future in the White Sox organization. The club holds a $14MM club option on his services for the 2024 season with a $1MM buyout. While the $13MM decision once appeared to be a no-brainer for one of the leagues better regulars at a premium position, the future now appears anything but certain for Anderson and Chicago. New GM recently on Anderson, indicating that the decision deserves an exhaustive discu sion considering Andersons importance to the organization in recent years, though he offered no a surance that Anderson would return to the South Side next year. Further complicating matters is the lack of quality shortstop options on the open market this season. If the club wishes to move on from Anderson, theyll be hard-pre sed to find a clear upgrade in free agency with and headlining the upcoming cla s. Of course, top prospect is figures to be the clubs shortstop of the future following a big season that saw him advance to Double-A late in the year. While Montgomery is certainly on the radar for a big league debut as soon as next year, it seems unlikely Chicago would be content to use him as the Opening Day shortstop next year after just 37 games at the Double-A level. Retaining Anderson certainly wouldnt block Montgomery, as Anderson himself has to move to second base going forward. Ultimately, the upcoming option decision leaves the White Sox forced to choose between risking overpaying Anderson for another abysmal year of production in 2024 or risking him returning to form elsewhere when he couldve been retained on a relative bargain compared to his typical production. How do MLBTR readers feel the White Sox should approach the upcoming decision on Andersons option? Have your say in the poll below. ( ) Should The White Sox Pick Up Tim Anderson's Team Option For 2024? No 60.58% (4,012votes) Yes 39.42% (2,611votes) Total Votes: 6,623 Brady Anderson Jersey |
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发表于 2025-11-18 11:16:09