White Sox Rumors: 3 teams that make sense for Tim Anderson
The Tim Anderson era in Chicago could end soon as three contending teams could potentially trade for the shortstop
The 2016 season is one of many forgettable campaigns in the franchise's history. Ownership took no attempts to address the problems that would have truly positioned them as contenders amidst the push for contention. Sounds familiar?
Steps were taken in the middle of the '16 season that would kick off the rebuild to proceed. Tim Anderson was the first player drafted with Rick Hahn as the general manager in 2013.
Three years later, the 47th-ranked prospect in the MLB Top 100, the once state basketball champion, was called up to play Major League Baseball.
Anderson was a relatively quiet player through his first three years in the MLB. With a .697 OPS from '16-'18, it would be hard to talk smack. He has always been a private person but Anderson kept to himself as he acclimated to the league.
Tim Anderson has had a very up and down tenure with the White Sox.
We would see the first glimpse into who TA was on June 22, 2018. In the bottom of the 8th, the White Sox were up 5-4 against Oakland at Guaranteed Rate.
On a 1-2 count, Anderson sent a hanging slider about six rows behind the left-field bullpen. Before the moonshot landed in the stands, Anderson grabbed the head of his bat and pimped it. I believe his first bat flip in the league.
The Oakland bat flip made some fans take notice but the Brad Keller bat flip in April 2019 made Anderson an icon. The start of the Change the Game campaign centered around TA and his "anti-unwritten rules" attitude.
As the rebuild progressed, fans chose their favorites to follow and root for once their name got called. Anderson was a huge fan favorite.
That era was like a movie. The White Sox were gaining steam and Anderson was a big reason. Unfortunately, we are at that part of the movie when the time jump comes and the honeymoon phase ends.
In 2019, White Sox fans would run through a wall for Anderson, and 2023 fans want him traded yesterday.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers have what they need to make any trade.
Currently, in third place, the long-time owners of the NL West are falling behind the surging Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants. To maximize their lineup, their star player learned new positions to squeeze more capable bats into the lineup.
Despite mainly roaming right field for 69% of the season, Mookie Betts has started 13 games at second base and eight at shortstop.
Their everyday shortstop is long-time Marlin Miguel Rojas. Following Trea Turner signing a mega deal with the Phillies, the Dodgers had to find a replacement quickly. In early January, they sent top infield prospect Jacob Amaya to Miami for a band-aid in Rojas.
At the time, the signing made sense. Despite not turning heads, Rojas has a reputation as a hard-working player and leader, so Dodger fans were optimistic.
Since the lineup was still basically an All-Star one, many did not fret. Fast forward to late June, the Dodgers are in third, the fanbase is sweating and looking for answers.
The weakest spot in the Dodgers lineup by far is the shortstop position. Batting ninth constantly, Rojas has yet to figure it out this season, batting an abysmal .535 OPS. Anderson's .581 OPS is not any better between the two but he is more likely to break out of this slump.
In return, the White Sox will have to play their cards right. The Dodgers have some leverage in that Anderson's OPS+ is a disappointing 61, well below the league average of 100. Some leverage the White Sox have is the club option in 2024.
Meaning Anderson won't be a 2023 rental but the Dodgers would have an extra year of control on top of the half-season this year.
On top of his reputation as a franchise's face, he could help the White Sox bring in haul to tackle multiple weak spots on the team.
Assuming Rojas will be sent to Chicago, a generous Dodgers package would include two top-30 prospects max. One will be higher on the list than the other.
Some higher-ranked prospects to highlight are second baseman and outfielder #3 Michael Busch, outfielder #6 Andy Pages, or RHPs Gavin Stone or Ryan Pepiot, ranked third and fourth, respectively.
Top-catching prospect Diego Cartaya might be out of reach, but ranked seventh in the system, Dalton Rushing is interesting.
A few prospects on the opposite side of the top 15 of interest include second and third baseman Jorbit Vivas, #19 LHP Ronan Kopp, #20 outfielder Jonny Deluca, or #25 shortstop Alex Freeland.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees desperately need some kind of move soon.
If any team other than the White Sox is hitting the extreme panic button at this point of the season, it's the New York Mets. Francisco Lindor is not the problem so the next team would be the counterpart Yankees.
The Yankees are behind the Baltimore Orioles by five games for second place and ten games behind the Rays for first place. The Yankee fans have short patience and changes are possible. Their second-lowest OPS in the lineup is at shortstop.
Catcher Jose Trevino's .576 OPS is balanced by his tremendous defensive skills. Anthony Volpe has been solid defensively but his .614 OPS is too much of a burden for the pushing Yankees.
Yankee fans have fallen in love with Volpe. The hometown kid won the hearts of fans with a fun April but his May and June, struggles are catching up. Everyone knows impatient can be one of many words used to describe the Yankee fanbase.
This trade is a tougher sell compared to the Dodgers. While Volpe is struggling, the outfield and pitching seem more of a problem for New York than the middle infield.
Despite this, organizations need to consider risky moves to turn their seasons around and the type of player Anderson is capable of should be of interest to any contending team falling behind.
A couple of scenarios could take place in a trade with the Yankees involving Tim Andreson. No other top-30 Yankee prospect will be involved if Volpe is the return. The Sox might have to send a relief pitcher to pull that trade-off.
A second package includes removing the weight that isn't a 22-year-old, Gleyber Torres or Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The second package gives the White Sox a bit of leverage to acquire a top 30 prospect. Top 15 is unlikely, but a top 30 prospect is undoubtedly acceptable.
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins could become buyers at the MLB Trade Deadline.
The slow start from the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets has allowed the Marlins to be six games out of first in the AL East. They would be the fifth of six playoff teams if the season ended today. The Marlins should be buyers this trade deadline and Tim Anderson could be an option.
Sitting five and a half games out of first, the division is a reasonable goal for Miami, not just a wild card spot. Besides catcher, Miami's two worst OPS positions have been third base and shortstop.
Third, Jean Segura has been worse than awful. With a .493 OPS and 37 OPS+, the Marlins are not missing him during his 10-day IL stint. The current everyday shortstop has been Joey Wendle and the hot corner has been maned by Garrett Hampson and Jon Berti, all players with a sub .700 OPS.
TA is the competitive type, no doubt about that. Throwing him in a lineup behind the hit machine Luis Arraez could spark something in Tim to want to match him. When Arraez goes 4-5, Anderson wants to go 5-5.
Including a relief pitcher makes it possible for the White Sox to squeeze a top-30 prospect off the Marlins. A few notable prospects are #12 infielder Xavier Edwards, #14 outfielder Victor Mesa Jr., and #15 second and third baseman Ian Lewis.
If Anderson was having a better season, a trade with the Marlins would have higher odds. Anderson is an aging, slumping shortstop with a similar OPS as the players they are trying to upgrade. This is a high-risk high-reward type of move and it's a tough decision for Miami but not impossible.
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