Tim Anderson Hoping For Extension Talks With White Sox

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is hoping for a more healthy season after a torn tendon in his left center finger ended his 2022 marketing campaign initially of August. Now wholesome and again in camp, the two-time All-Star additionally expressed a want to kind out his long-term contractual standing.

Talking with Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Anderson famous he “type of (needs) to know the place (his) toes are going to be on the subsequent no matter years it’s.” The previous batting champion mentioned he’s “so comfy” in Chicago and hopeful of getting one other deal executed as rapidly as presumably. “I’ve plenty of issues which are occurring with children and simply household. Being comfy is large for me,” he instructed Merkin. “No, I’m not selling ‘pay me.’ It’s simply that’s what’s actually occurring. All people is aware of I need to be right here. It’s no secret.”

Whether or not the group has an identical stage of urgency isn’t identified. Chicago isn’t dealing with Anderson’s imminent departure. The perimeters have already labored out one long-term deal, guaranteeing him $25MM again in March 2017 at a time when he had lower than one 12 months of main league service. He’s underneath contract for $12.5MM for the upcoming season and has a $14MM membership choice (or a $1MM buyout) for the 2024 marketing campaign. It’d take a disastrous season for the membership to contemplate the buyout, as the online $13MM resolution is properly under Anderson’s current open market worth.

With Anderson way more established and far nearer to free company than he was on the time of his first extension, any new deal could be at a totally totally different stage financially. Anderson instructed Merkin he’s not inquisitive about signing a below-market pact to make sure an settlement will get executed. “No reductions. That’s to not … put something on the market that may appear adverse or assume I would like essentially the most cash. I simply need to be handled truthful and wish each ends to be pleased like we did final time, whichever manner it goes,” he mentioned. “This has been dwelling. That is all I do know. I might be disillusioned if that got here to an finish. However on the finish of the day, I perceive the method.”

If he have been to easily play out his present deal (assuming the ’24 choice is exercised), Anderson would first attain free company prematurely of his age-31 season. That’s two years older than Trevor Story and Javier Báez have been when signing their free agent offers over the 2021-22 offseason and two years older than Dansby Swanson was this winter. Anderson could be the identical age as Marcus Semien was two offseasons again.

Every of these gamers secured offers of six-plus years with ensures within the $140MM to $180MM vary. Anderson isn’t the identical fashion of hitter as these different gamers, hitting for rather less energy however extra constantly working glorious batting averages than every. He’s been equally efficient general although.

For the reason that begin of the 2019 season, Anderson owns a .318/.347/.473 line in over 1600 plate appearances. His 123 wRC+ signifies that manufacturing checks in 23 share factors above that of the league common batter. His 2022 marketing campaign was somewhat down relative to his earlier three seasons, with a .301/.339/.395 line earlier than his season-ending hand damage. However, the broader observe file on the dish is in step with these of Semien, Story and Báez and somewhat above Swanson’s. Semien, Story and Báez every had a wRC+ between 113 and 119 over the four-year stretch previous their free agent offers, whereas Swanson had a cumulative 104 mark however had posted his three finest seasons main as much as free company.

Anderson is maybe not the identical caliber of defender as Báez or Swanson, although he usually charges as a barely above-average shortstop by public metrics like DRS and Statcast’s Outs Above Common. Story and Semien every got here with questions on whether or not they have been higher suited to second base within the comparatively close to future. There aren’t anticipated to be those self same considerations with Anderson.

These comparisons lend a tough concept to the type of vary Anderson and his reps may goal in free company. There’s extra threat with Anderson contemplating he’s nonetheless two years from the open market, and the ChiSox could also be reluctant to supply true market worth costs to purchase out his mid-30’s this far prematurely. That mentioned, any extension would require the biggest funding in franchise historical past by a large margin. The White Sox have by no means assured above $75MM to a person participant — on their five-year take care of Andrew Benintendi this winter — and Anderson may moderately look to greater than double that quantity.

If the Sox don’t get an extension executed this spring, there’s no less than some likelihood Anderson’s future with the group may come into doubt by the center of the season. Chicago confirmed no interest in buying and selling him this offseason, an unsurprising stance for a membership relying on a return to rivalry after an injury-marred 12 months that culminated in a mean exhibiting. In the event that they battle early within the upcoming season and fall out of the playoff combine, the group may have to contemplate larger-scale modifications because the deadline nears. The Sox have arguably the sport’s worst farm system and key gamers like Anderson, Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are all inside two years of free company. One other non-competitive season may lead the entrance workplace to contemplate a reboot through the summer season.

Chicago is definitely hoping it doesn’t come to that, both as a result of a long-term deal for Anderson takes a commerce firmly off the desk or the membership is in robust sufficient place to purchase on the deadline. The Sox have a good quantity of payroll flexibility previous the 2024 marketing campaign, with solely Benintendi ($16.5MM) and Luis Robert ($15MM) underneath assured offers. Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Andrew Vaughn and Garrett Crochet will likely be deep into their arbitration seasons by then, nonetheless, and the group should retain or exchange Giolito, Yoán Moncada and Eloy Jiménez. There’s alternative however a good variety of choices dealing with normal supervisor Rick Hahn and his employees as issues play out.