Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has worn out his welcome in the Windy City after getting in a fight with Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians.
Can this White Sox season get any worse?
Just days after selling off assets at the MLB trade deadline AND a fight involving shortstop Tim Anderson — of which he'll likely receive a suspension for — ESPN published an article featuring former White Sox reliever Keynan Middleton's thoughts on a so-called 'no rules' clubhouse. Middleton and sources close to the team went in detail regarding the lack of discipline in the organization from the top-down. It was embarrassing, and suggested a trade deadline teardown was just the beginning.
Anderson, a player who has taken a major step back this season and has a team option in the offseason, could be next. While the free-agent shortstop market is barren, Anderson has been one of the worst players in baseball this season offensively, slashing .244/.285/.292 thanks to a recent hot streak. If Rick Hahn really is fed up with Anderson's antics, he should have these possible replacements in mind.
White Sox: Replace Tim Anderson from within
Chicago is lucky to have one of the top prospects in baseball, Colson Montgomery. While just 21 years old, MLB Pipeline believes Montgomery will make his MLB debut in 2024, which lines up perfectly for life post-Tim Anderson. Montgomery is the No. 19 prospect in all of baseball, and one of the keys to Chicago's next competitive window. Per MLB Pipeline, Montgomery's bat is already major-league ready:
"Montgomery has impressed evaluators with his ability to make advanced swing decisions for a youngster, rarely chasing pitches out of the strike zone while laying off difficult offerings and pounding the ones he should. He has focused on controlling the zone, using the entire field and making consistent hard contact early in his pro career. With his hitting ability, bat speed, projectable strength and leverage, he should provide at least solid power once he starts launching more balls in the air."
Despite his average speed, the White Sox believe Montgomery can remain at shortstop thanks to his big frame and range at the position. He's a clear replacement for Anderson sometime down the road. Why not 2024?
White Sox: Replace Tim Anderson with a former division rival
The Cleveland Guardians traded Amed Rosario to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the deadline. Rosario is a pure rental, and should become a free agent at the end of the season. Because of the relatively-weak shortstop market, Rosario could earn his keep somewhere, and some familiar stomping grounds makes sense.
Rosario is talented enough with his bat — he's hitting .267 on the year, though his OPS is a little low — and is solid defensively. As a short-term overpay, he makes a lot of sense for a Chicago team that is waiting on Colson Montgomery to develop into the shortstop they know he can be.
At worst, should the White Sox decide that Montgomery is better-suited at another position, then Rosario could surprise Chicago's front office with a season similar to his 2022 numbers, in which he slashed .283/.312/.403 for the Guardians.
White Sox: Replace Tim Anderson with a Willy Adames trade
The Milwaukee Brewers have a lot of top-performers to pay in the coming offseasons, including Corbin Burnes. It's quite possible that a player like Adames doesn't make the cut. Milwaukee would be smart to shop Adames some this offseason specifically because the free-agent shortstop market is so barren for All-Star level talent. It's a sharp contrast from last offseason, when Xander Bogaerts, Trea Turner, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson were all available.
For teams in need of a solid shortstop, such as the White Sox, a trade could be their best bet.
The only reason Chicago would consider making this deal is if they believe Adames is a better long-term fit at shortstop than Colson Montgomery, their top prospect. If they don't intend on paying Adames after the 2024-25 season (when he's a free agent), then no trade will happen.
Adames is having a down year offensively at the wrong time, slashing just .201/.286/.376, but he still provides plenty of power at the position with 17 home runs so far on the year. Adames's offensive struggles in 2023 suggest a team like Chicago could acquire him at a cheaper price tag than, say after his 2021 or 2022 campaigns.
The truth is, there aren't many options at shortstop this coming offseason. It's why some in the industry believe the White Sox may be better off keeping Anderson for the final year of his deal, hoping he can turn things around and become a solid rental by the trade deadline. Montgomery is the most likely shortstop of the future on the south side.
That doesn't mean the Sox don't have options, though.