Tim Anderson has reportedly found his new home. The longtime White Sox shortstop has agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Miami Marlins, per Jesse Rodgers.
The move is not a surprise as the White Sox declined a team option back in November that would've paid Anderson $14 million this year. That made Anderson a free agent.
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Up to this point, Anderson played the entirety of his eight-season career on the South Side. Over that time, he often acted as the spark plug for the White Sox offense. As a reliable leadoff hitter and active base stealer, he set the table for big hitters like José Abreu to drive in runs. Anderson's best year as a hitter was 2019, when he won the batting title with a .335 average. Anderson was so effective that season that at points it felt given that he would reach base at least twice per game.
That batting title campaign started a stretch of four seasons where Anderson hit at least .300, and remained one of the best hitters in the game. In 2020, he led also led the A.L. with 45 runs scored in the COVID-19 shortened season. He earned Silver Slugger honors that year and finished in seventh place in MVP voting.
Anderson might've been better known for his panache than his prowess at the plate, however. He played the game with great emotion and never missed an opportunity to celebrate a big moment. Anderson's monster bat flips were a lightning rod for defenders of the "unwritten rules" of baseball at times. For others, he was a poster child of the "let the kids play" movement.
The White Sox selected Anderson in the first round of the 2013 draft, and he made his debut with the team in 2016. Anderson was a two-time All-Star with the White Sox.