Marlins introduce Tim Anderson, make signing official

JUPITER—It took until late February, but the Marlins finally have their shortstop. On Saturday morning, just a few hours before Miami's Grapefruit League opener, the Marlins announced the signing of free agent Tim Anderson to a one-year deal. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the Marlins placed RHP Sandy Alcantara on the 60-day IL. 

Anderson, 30, spent the first eight years of his Major League career with the White Sox and is coming off a career-worst season (-2.0 bWAR). He figures to be Miami's everyday shortstop in 2024. Jon Berti received the lion's share of the playing time at the position late in 2023 and was atop the projected SS depth chart prior to Anderson's arrival.

"We knew that we were looking for shortstops. We honestly felt pretty good about the shortstop options that we had in-house, but it was still something that we were going to try and upgrade," said President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix. 

When asked what boxes Anderson might check as a Marlin, Bendix quickly mentioned his accolades. "I think those are easy to see. He's a batting champion. He's been an All-Star. He's a dynamic-type player on both sides of the ball. He had a tough year last year, but he's not far removed from being a really good player."

Manager Skip Schumaker also offered his thoughts on the acquisition: "He's motivated. I've said it before, but anyone that's motivated at this level is dangerous, and I'm not sure there's many guys more motivated than that kid."

The two-time All-Star, Anderson has dealt with injuries over the past two seasons. When asked if it affected his recent performance, Anderson responded, "It definitely took a toll. It took a toll with the MCL sprain, and I ended up hitting a lot of ground balls. No excuses, though. I came here to work. I feel good and healthy and ready to go." 

Once it was reported that Anderson had agreed to terms, a few Marlin players shared their excitement about the signing. Jazz Chisholm Jr. told Fish on First, "I'm super happy that Tim signed in Miami. I think he's going to be a great fit here. I think the culture that we have here is going to be great for him."

Additionally, Chisholm firmly believes Anderson will bounce back from his 2023 struggles. "He's going to have a great season here this year. You can't take one season and expect someone to be a bad player all of a sudden. Not sure why anyone wouldn't want a batting champion on your team."

Anderson will also be reuniting with third baseman Jake Burger, who shared the left side of the infield with him in Chicago from 2021 to 2023. "Yeah, we were texting about everything, even a week before the news first broke. I was also talking to Nick Gordon, Jazz, and all those guys, so the connection has been there and it's a great fit." 

Since he just arrived to camp, it's expected to take some time before Anderson sees Grapefruit League action. During Saturday's spring opener, he was in the Marlins dugout getting to know his new teammates.