The Miami Marlins made several questionable decisions this offseason, but one seemed promising at the time: signing SS Tim Anderson. Unfortunately, things have not worked out for either party. Is it time for both sides to move on? Let’s examine the situation.
Tim Anderson is no longer a viable shortstop for the Miami Marlins.
From 2019 to 2022, Anderson was a star shortstop with the Chicago White Sox, batting .318/.347/.474. He was an AL MVP contender, an All-Star, and known for his excellent defense. Having him during that period would have been a significant boost for the Marlins.
However, Anderson struggled last season with Chicago, hitting .245/.286/.296 with 6 home runs and 25 RBI in 79 games (332 AB). His defensive WAR was a poor -0.9, and his overall WAR was -2.0. Unsurprisingly, the team did not pick up their option on him for the 2024 season.
The Miami Marlins signed Tim Anderson for 1 year/$5 million, hoping for a turnaround. Unfortunately, that turnaround hasn’t materialized. Anderson is currently worth -1.2 WAR with a -0.2 defensive WAR. He’s batting .199/.235/.219 with 0 home runs and 6 RBI in 43 games (146 AB), making him a detriment to the team.
Anderson’s performance has been so poor that almost anyone would be an upgrade. His BABIP is .282, not much lower than his career mark of .346. However, his exit velocity has dropped from 89.6 in 2021 to 88.2 in 2022, 87.8 in 2023, and 85.7 this season, indicating a significant decline with no improvement in sight.
The Marlins have two options to replace Anderson: Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards. Lopez could move to shortstop with Edwards playing his natural position, or Edwards could directly replace Anderson. Given Anderson’s lack of trade value, the best course of action is to release him.
