Chicago White Sox: 2022 player grade for Elvis Andrus

The Chicago White Sox needed help in the worst way down the stretch in 2022. Tony La Russa was a bad manager, the roster had some holes, and the injuries were really hurting the team. Things got really bad when Tim Anderson went down with a long-term injury.

There was hope that he would return to the White Sox if they were in contention for a postseason spot by the time the final week of the season approached. We all know how that ended up turning out.

However, they did find a short-term replacement for him while he was recovering from his surgery. That replacement came in the form of Elvis Andrus. The White Sox signed him after the Oakland A's let him go following the trade deadline.

The reason Oakland let him go was that they wanted to allow him a chance to go win. He ended up with the White Sox right in the middle of an AL Central Division race. He was as good as he could possibly be both with his bat and his glove at shortstop.

It would have been nice to have both Andrus and Anderson but the cards shook out the way that they did. While Andrus was there, he was absolutely magnificent. He also brought a sense of life into the dugout that was so poorly needed.

Again, they ended up missing the playoffs anyway but Andrus was a big reason that they had a chance for as long as they did.

2022 Final Grade: A

The Chicago White Sox needed Elvis Andrus in 2022 and he delivered.

Elvis Andrus deserves an A. He was amazing for his entire run with the White Sox. He started out blistering hot but when he came down from that he was still a really impactful player. He was everything that Rick Hahn wanted other cheap signings to become.

If they would have made it to the postseason, there is a chance that Anderson would have come back to play shortstop and Andrus would have moved over to second base. That would have been a great way to utilize the two great players.

Andrus's future is cloudy. He could very well return to the White Sox where he has found another wind in his career. He could also go somewhere that has a slightly better chance of winning in 2023 and beyond. No matter what happens, he will always be fondly remembered on the south side. He was very fun to watch.