On Thursday, February 22nd, 2024 the Miami Marlins announced that they have signed the veteran American League superstar shortstop, Tim Anderson, to a 1-year contract worth up to approximately $5 million.
In a corresponding move for the Miami Marlins, they placed their right-handed pitcher in Sandy Alcantara on the 60-day injured list while he recovers from Tommy John surgery that began last October.
The Year Behind:
The now 30-year -old Anderson, joins the Miami Marlins following an MLB season in which he would love to forget last year in 2023. After Anderson played for the Team USA club during the World Baseball Classic, Tim struggled on both offense as well as defense for the Chicago White Sox while having to manage a sprained left knee injury and a right shoulder injury according to sources close to the Chicago White Sox.
“I’m just excited,” the newly acquired Miami Marlin shortstop, Tim Anderson, explained to reporters last week. “I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Tim’s .582 on-base plus slugging percentage was the lowest across all qualified American League batters in the big leagues throughout the 2023 MLB season. He ranked last in defensive runs saved for shortstops with a minus – 16 rating.
Following Anderson batting over .300 over the course of 4 straight MLB seasons, the now 8-year veteran shortstop saw his beloved batting average plummet to .245 throughout the 2023 MLB season, and Tim’s strikeout rate spiked by 8 % last year too.
Anderson went almost 4 months without hitting a single home run too as he finished with just one home run throughout the entire big – league season which came on July 29th, 2023. That is very uncharacteristic for T. Anderson who usually crushes his share of long balls for the Chicago White Sox.
The Chicago White Sox declined their $14 million club option on Tim last November as they decided to pay him his $1 million buyout for the upcoming 2024 Major League Baseball season.
While speaking to reporters last Saturday, Anderson accepted his knee injury as well as other injuries for knocking him and his numbers down last year, but he is feeling back to 100 % now and expects to have a bounce back season with the young and highly – talented Miami Marlins in 2024.
“I had nothing to hit up against,” Anderson goes on to say. “That led to a lot of ground balls. No excuses. I kept working. I feel good today. I feel healthy. I’m ready to go and I’m excited.”
The Miami Marlins manager, Skip Schumaker, believes those 2023 big – time struggles especially at the plate should provide Anderson with even more incentive and motivation this year with his new ball club down south.
“I’ve said it before, anybody that’s motivated is dangerous at this level,” the Miami Marlins manager, Skip Schumacher, expressed. “I’m not sure there’s many guys more motivated than that kid.”
Anderson’s Major League Career:
Tim was the first – round MLB draft pick of the White Sox way back in 2013. Anderson made the MLB All – Star team back in 2021 as well as in 2022, and he finished 7th in American League MVP voting during the COVID – 19 shortened 2020 season, when he also won the Silver Slugger Award along with several other MLB accolades.
Anderson’s past success managed to help lead him to a roster spot on Team U. S. A. for the World Baseball Classic, where Timmy excelled at the plate while filling in some at 2nd – base on defense for Team U. S. A. Anderson has spent his entire Major League Baseball career at shortstop with the Chicago White Sox from 2016 through 2023 (8 – big – league – seasons).
Tim has carried an overall career batting average of .282 to go along with his total 98 – home runs, 338 – RBIs, 528 – runs scored, and 117 – stolen bases throughout his mostly very successful MLB career. He needs to prove all the haters out there wrong during the upcoming 2024 MLB season with the Miami Marlins of the National League East division.
Tim Anderson’s Baseball Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards
- 2 – Time MLB All – Star Selection (2021, 2022)
- Silver Slugger Award Winner (2020)
- American League Batting Champion (2019)