Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to Spring Training in about three weeks but a slow offseason means there are still plenty of free agents out there. MLBTR already took a look at the center fielders and catchers still available and will now take a look at some notable shortstops.
- Tim Anderson: It’s no secret that last year was a disaster for Anderson, a stunning drop-off from his previous performance. From 2019 to 2022, he hit .318/.347/.473 for a wRC+ of 123. Last year, his line was just .245/.286/.296. His wRC+ of 60 was the lowest of all qualified hitters in the league. His defense also seemed to take a step back. Despite that rough year, his prior track record and a weak free agent class should get him a chance somewhere. Optimists could perhaps point to an April knee injury as the culprit for 2023, with better health perhaps leading to better results. Anderson has expressed a willingness to move to other positions going forward, but the lack of better alternatives should work in his favor.
- Amed Rosario: Like Anderson, Rosario also experienced a big drop-off in 2023, though not quite as precipitous. He hit .282/.315/.412 from 2019 to 2022, leading to a wRC+ of 101. The reviews on his glovework were mixed. Last year, he hit just .263/.305/.378 between the Guardians and Dodgers, leading to an 88 wRC+. The latter club, after acquiring him in a trade, had him spend more time at second base than at short. It’s unclear whether clubs around the league will consider him a proper shortstop or more of a second baseman that could play there in a pinch. The offense has been uneven but he’s always had good numbers with the platoon advantage, even in his poor 2023 campaign. The righty hitter slashed .282/.326/.442 against southpaws last year for a 112 wRC+.
- Gio Urshela: Going back to his 2019 breakout with the Yankees, Urshela has hit .291/.335/.452 for a wRC+ of 115. He’s also considered a strong defender at third base but has only had brief glimpses at short. While he’s had over 4,600 innings at the hot corner, he’s tallied just 359 at the six hole. His numbers there haven’t been especially strong either. He’s also coming off a season that was ended by a pelvic fracture suffered in June. He may be the most reliable bat in this bunch but he’s probably not considered an everyday shortstop. Then again, the dearth of attractive options may tempt some club to give it a shot.
- Elvis Andrus: The ceiling may not be too exciting with Andrus, but he has more reliability than the names ahead of him on this list. He played 112 games for the White Sox last year, missing a few weeks due to an oblique strain but otherwise staying healthy. He’s only had one full season in his career where he didn’t top that mark, getting to just 97 games in 2018. His .251/.304/.358 batting line translated to a wRC+ of just 81, not far below his career production, but he stole 12 bases and was still considered good in the field. His 1.1 fWAR on the year was easily the highest of anyone else in this post and he’s never been lower than that in a full season. Due to the aforementioned players dealing with rough years and injuries, none of these other guys even got to 0.5 fWAR.
- Adalberto Mondesí: The flip side to Andrus, Mondesí is not reliable at all but comes with a more enticing ceiling. Health has been a constant issue with him, as his 2019 season was the only time he got into more than 75 games, suiting up for 102 contests that year. Most recently, he suffered a torn ACL in April of 2022 and hasn’t appeared in a game since. But he had a strong run with the Royals from 2018 to 2021 when he was able to take the field. He hit 35 home runs in 1,103 plate appearances, though a 4.3% walk rate kept his on-base percentage low. His .261/.293/.445 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 92 but he paired that with strong defense and 114 stolen bases in 271 games. He produced 7.4 fWAR in that time, not even two full seasons’ worth of contests. The health issues will give clubs plenty of pause but he’s still just 28 years old and is almost two years removed from his ACL surgery at this point.
Honorable mentions: Brandon Crawford, Nick Ahmed, Yu Chang
Old hurt or bad take your pick
I think Anderson on the right team can be a huge asset. Unfortunately he will most likely sign with a team like the Marlins who lack the leadership in the clubhouse he will need to thrive
…and how is he supposed to be an asset with a declined bat and bad defense?
martras: A guy can’t have an off year. I’ve seen him play his whole career and he’s been a terrific player except for last season.
martras: A guy can’t have an off year? I’ve seen him play his whole career and he’s been a terrific player except for last season. Seven good seasons, but let’s dwell on his one bad year.
I think Tim Anderson is a prime candidate for a bounce back year with someone else. Right now since it’s just one year you should treat it as an anomaly. You never know what a guy is going through, they are human after all and not everything makes it to the media. If ya hate where you are working or got family issues at home, well production will drop. Not everything is about age, it’d be different if it was a 3 year downturn or something. Tim wasn’t hurt physically, so I am assuming he went through drama we got no clue on.
He was hurt physically. Nagging injury from a rundown in April after he had done well in the WBC and early in the season. Had a 1.000 OPS in the opening series and was batting .298 and on pace for 50 SBs when the injury felled him after 11 games
There are clues in the Chicago media that has MLB beat writers. Anderson had serious off field issues…
Anderson’s part of the reason that the White Sox weren’t the “right team”. It’s possible he bounces back, but I’m glad I don’t have to find out as a Sox fan.
“The leadership he needs to thrive”
As a grown man if he can’t “thrive” on his own than he probably should be reconsidering his life choices. He’s no longer a kid and would be expected to be a “leader” on a younger team like the Marlins
Anderson needs Ron Washington. Slide him in at 2B. Drury becomes your utility IF (1B, 2B, and 3B). But the Angels will be too cheap to bring him in.
Yu Chang? FOH.
I know it sounds like a joke but I’d actually love to see the Giants roll the dice on Mondesí
I think he’s the only interesting one on the list.
Just say no Farhan and play the rooks.
Mondesi is good for the right team. You gotta have someone to play when he is inevitably hurt. Aren’t the Giants really thin at shortstop?
If he’s healthy he gives the Giants the number one thing their offense was severely lacking last season: speed. On a minor league invite to spring training there is zero for the Giants to lose here
Don’t most teams have players at AAA as good as most of these players? If not, teams like Cleveland have multiples. Give them a call about a trade.
Anderson could be a good fit for the Marlins if the price is right.
Tim Anderson has been in clear decline for a couple years now. Add in the behavioral issues, and he’s not the kind of guy I’d want to have on my 40 man roster.
Bird up. Same thing with Zach Davies and Trevor Bauer. Keep rosters free of scumbags.
And in Davies case, scumbags that have their elderly mother fight their battles.
Teams lack dignity these days.
A lot of people say that Trevor should be back in mlb headlining a rotation
Yeah it seems odd to me. Trevor Bauer is okay, but Tim Anderson is not? Weird. People must have some extra knowledge that makes Anderson worse. I can’t possibly see why people would feel Anderson is worse to have on a roster.
Nancy: One person says something bad about a player, and scumbag after scumbag believes it, embellishes it. Do any of them know what happens on the clubhouse? Has anyone actually come out and said Anderson was a clubhouse cancer? Even when Middleton and Lynn said there was a “culture” problem – the new baseball buzz word – neither one said Anderson was a problem. The fact that the clubhouse was allegedly so negative and it all came as a surprise to Grifol shows how out of touch Grifol is.
Anderson was a huge hit on the wBC, Trout was among the players raving about his energy and he was always a popular leader in the Sox clubhouse. Middleton, Lynn and Graveman on the other hand were malcontents whod routinely throw teammates under the bus and got shipped out.
Pitcher vs position player. Pitching is needed nearly everywhere. Anderson competes for 30 teams at 1 spot (maybe 2), Bauer 30 teams and at least 5 spots.
Few teams out there needing Anderson. Many teams needing Bauer.
Trout is also inexperienced at winning, but excellent at PR.
Not sure what Trevor Bauer has to do with Tim Anderson since Bauer is probably still a very good pitcher.
Tim Anderson was the combo of bad on field and bad off field last year.
Bad on field + good off field = No interest.
Bad on field + bad off field = No interest. <– Tim Anderson
Good on field + good off field = High interest
Good on field + bad off field = Maybe interest.
Wait what did Zach Davies do? I only follow the AL
He cheated on his pregnant wife and ghosted her completely. She couldnt reach him for a long time until he sent divorce papers. Then his mom was on a PR mission on Twitter to defend her little scumbag. Deadbeat dad to maximum level scumbag stuff
But a lot of people think that TRever should be back in mlb right now and headlining a top rotation (like back in Dodger Blue) and its hard to argue with them in a lot of ways
Sounds like something A Rod and Lance Armstrong would do lol
I understand that. I would just like some consistency. Why should Bauer be back and Anderson not? People will point to Anderson recent injuries and poor performance but ignore his past which was two years ago when he was last healthy. What about Davies? He’s been dog dump for years but nobody brings up his personal life as a counterpoint to signing him.
Maybe it’s because they think it will help their team? Or maybe something else? But, baseball fans love to get a “holier than thou” attitude for some and not others.
You can’t bring up character stuff to discredit some but not all. It seems like “for some odd reason” people choose to ignore some players transgressions and not others.
A lot of people can’t get past what he used to be. No reason to think he can still be a top arm after all this time out of MLB. Especially after the sticky stuff went away…
I just searched what your username meant and I had a feeling I’d be disgusted and sure enough I was. Pretty nasty that some old wrinkled lady was known for being the top of her game in a certain performance lol
I had no idea Regan even had a wife or that she was infamous for such a thing lmao
Hahaha. That neck was made for trickle down economics. Even if it was an entirely made up concept.
I don’t think his ability is an issue because he’s shown he’s a terrific pitcher. It’s all about negative publicity. No one knows what he did or didn’t do. He wasn’t charged with anything, which doesn’t mean he’s innocent. Whatever happened people have already formed their opinion about him and that won’t change even if the women who accused him come out and say he didn’t do anything. Tough place to be in.
Welcome to American history. Or at least the zenith before the falling action.
It’s publicity. But it’s also the fact he never apologized and kept blaming others. Ozuna and Chapman apologize then they get cleared. But they still get dumped on every season. Bauer fights it tooth and nail, then settles and still is defiant. But people still act like his defiance is innocence.
It’s whatever. I think Tim Anderson could be good and even a good leader if he learns from his whitesox days (because they ruined their window with poor leadership). I don’t think bauer or Davies could be that because they essentially ran away from their problems.
Used to be.
Saying “that’s what he used to be” is disingenuous. He’s has not shown any remorse. And nobody knows how he has addressed those issues. Just moving abroad for some time doesn’t show people anything.
If people want to forgive him, fine. But, thinking Tim Anderson isn’t even worthy of being signed is laughable. Like all the pathetic people that call Tim Anderson Jackie Robinson as an insult.
I thought it was because players like Anderson and Milton Bradley, etc have reputations as being problems.
Who are the “etc” in your comment? I’d be happy to explain the point if I could.
So we have Tim Anderson is like Milton Bradley. Im interested. Before I comment, can you give me 2-3 examples of these “etc” players?
Addison Russell, Josh Hamilton, Andrelton Simmons.
How is Addison Russell, Josh Hamilton, and Simmons like Tim Anderson?
Are these problems the same? And Milton Bradley is the same level as Tim Anderson?
They are problems in the clubhouse and the Russell and Simmons even include gun involvement. Josh had problems but at least he was never a threat.
I’m not going to engage anymore. Anderson had a confrontation on the field. He never beats women mercilessly like the other players.
Josh Hamilton, Addison Russell, Trevor Bauer, Zach Davies, they are abusers. Possibly rapists.
Crazy.
Albert Belle and Lofton also had a reputation.
Every concept is made up.
Maybe you meant a made up story, lie.
Don’t forget the glass jaw. I mean Jose Ramirez swung like a girl and flattened Ole Tim.
Tim Anderson would be a better contestant for the MTV show “Yo Mamma” than a baseball free agent
I cannot believe the 4 people that liked this comment know the awful Wilmer Valderama show that ran from 2006-2009 named “yo mamma”.
1: because valderamma is a groomer. 2. They don’t hide their support of pedos better
Lol is he really? I had no idea and honestly forgot he was even the host of the show. I thought it was Nick Cannon
Yanks2. I’m sorry but I’m going to have to break up with you. I can’t keep delivering breaking news from decades ago, and I can’t take being the person that ruins your perception of random people. I love the spark we had.
Lmao
All things equal, Tim Anderson is unquestioned the best player available. However he’s going to want a 2023 Bellinger-type 1-year prove-it contract where he’s still paid $15M.
15 mil ?!? He had just enough speed and power to be relevant then aged out of his prime. He’s toast
That’s the point. He’s going to want more than he deserves right now.
Ming: Then he should play for the cubs. Look what one season playing in that band box did for Bellinger.
Best player off the field sure.
I’d sign Eduardo Escobar long before Tim Anderson.
Another one that could be added below the honorable mentions who can play shortstop though has played a lot more third base lately is Eduardo Escobar. His bat has dropped but he can be streaky like in September 2022. He probably could be had for a split contract or minor league deal with an NRI if not a near-minimum major league contract.
Escobar is a great clubhouse guy, but I have to admit it looks like he’s done.
Think now with the non shift rules we will see more athletic glove first shortstops again. A lot of the guys playing up the middle didn’t have the range it was very easy to hide it with 3 infielders on one side of the diamond.
Excellent point which I have not heard before…
The weird thing is that if Elvis Andrus played just 5 more years until he was 39, he would have legit shot at 3000 hits. I never would have really thought of him in that realm,
He’s at 2091 hits, which is a long way from 3k when you’re 35 and no longer much of a player.
Well probably not 3000, but potentially 2500 is still a surprise to be honest.
I think he was underrated in his prime.
Apparently he’s still real underrated. MLB quotes fa graphs and they had him at 4.6 war last season. No clue how he’s still out there
FanGraphs had Andrus at 1.1 WAR last year, 4.6 combined over the last two years.
fangraphs.com/players/elvis-andrus/8709/stats?posi…
Thx g
At one point I had the same thought (regarding 3,000 hits) about Nick Markakis. Stuff happens.
Waiting for Preller to offer Andrus a contract. It’s his yearly former Ranger.
Rosario is solid for a good price.
Anderson to Oakland
Tim had a rough year and gets hurt an awful lot, but he’s just 30, which is too young to be in total decline. He comes with enough baggage that he is a big question mark, but hit over .300 the 4 years prior to 2023. It’s not like his last good season was 5 years ago. Somebody gotta take a chance on that dude for a 5-10M prove it deal with incentives. Just don’t stick him at SS.
Nationals, Tigers or Tampa Bay seem like reasonable destinations for him
It’s not too early to be in total decline, and Anderson’s decline started after 2019.
2019 = wRC+ 128, ISO .173
2021 = wRC+ 118, ISO .159
2022 = wRC+ 110, ISO .093
2023 = wRC+ 60, ISO .051
Anderson’s xwOBA was higher than his actual in 2019-2021, but regressed in 2022-2023. By the numbers, he was about where he should be in 2022, and unlucky in 2023, but not far off the mark.
Anderson has average-ish raw power, he doesn’t barrel up balls so he makes a ton of weak contact, and he doesn’t take walks.
Tim Anderson has Farhan written all over him.
Except for the lack of walks.
Though can see Melvin going leadoff with Lee followed by Anderson…
Could Matt Chapman play SS? Wasn’t their talk about it back when he was traded?
Why on Earth would you take one of the best fielding 3B in the league and move him to a new position where the outcome would be unknown? Taking salary out of the equation, there are maybe three teams in the entire league that would not replace their current 3B with Chapman. They would either bench or move their incumbent 3B.
To say Anderson was distracted by his self-inflicted, off field problems would be a massive understatement. He now needs a massive a pay day to regroup – best path for that is a one year “show me” deal and if he’s back in form he’ll get the package for 2025+
That “show me” deal looks more like a “please let me have a spot on your MiLB roster with an opt out”
Wish the Braves would toss Arcia into the sun and sign Mondesi.
Jk and Am are about as good a potential 8/9 as you can ask for.
Get the “atta boy” garbage off the team entirely.
Someone just stole Jackie Robinson’s statue. Was it Tim Anderson? (It’s a joke. No need to be offended here.)