After a very quiet offseason leading to fans questioning if he’ll secure a new deal at all, ex-Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has agreed to terms with the Miami Marlins, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. The contract is a one-year, $5 million “prove-it” deal, with the Marlins presumably hoping a change of scenery will help Anderson return to his 2019-22 era form.
The Marlins will become only the second team of Anderson’s career, with the 30-year-old having been selected by the White Sox in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft and made his major-league debut with the team in June 2016.
Anderson is coming off the worst season of his eight-year MLB career, having finished 2023 with the lowest WRC+ of all qualified hitters (60), slashing .245/.286/.296 with just one home run in 524 plate appearances. Just a few seasons earlier, Anderson was one of the most consistent contact hitters in the majors, slashing .318/.347/.474 from 2019-22 and earning two All-Star appearances (2021, 2022) and the title of American League batting champion (2019).
After being plagued with injuries and underperformance since the 2022 All-Star Break, Anderson is looking to redeem himself in 2024. His new one-year deal with the Marlins will give him the opportunity to return to his former glory — if he still can — before resetting his value in free agency again next offseason. For Miami, it’s a low-risk, low-commitment deal with a potentially very high reward, allowing them to bolster their infield roster without going over budget.
Especially if Anderson can get even halfway back to his earlier All-Star form, the Marlins just got themselves a steal.
Inside Anderson’s New Contract
On February 22, Rogers reported that Anderson had agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million deal with the Marlins, pending a physical. The signing has not yet been confirmed by the team.
Last season, Anderson received a $12.5 million salary from the White Sox after the team accepted the 2023 option on the six-year, $25 million contract he signed before the 2017 season. Chicago declined the $14 million option on Anderson after the 2023 season, paying him the required $1 million buyout. From 2017-23 with the White Sox, Anderson earned a total of $32.5 million.
Marlins’ Infield in 2024
The Marlins went into the offseason needing to add a shortstop, and Anderson is the first free agent they’ve signed to a major-league deal this winter, though he wasn’t the first they reached out to.
According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson on January 24, “The Marlins made an offer to former Yankees shortstop/outfielder Isaiah Kiner-Falefa but weren’t comfortable committing significant money for a second season. So he signed with Toronto for two years and $15 million.”
If a cheaper deal was what they were looking for, the Marlins got it in Anderson, and the team’s president of baseball operations Peter Bendix isn’t closing the door on more deals still to come.
“We’re always having conversations,” Bendix said when asked if the club’s current roster is set for Opening Day, according to MLB.com’s Brian Murphy. “I can never answer that question with any kind of certainty. I will tell you that I feel really good about this roster right now.”
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