MLB fans react as Chicago White Sox decline Tim Anderson's option - "Not the first time he's been dropped this year"
The Chicago White Sox have declined the $14 million club option on slugger Tim Anderson. Anderson will get a $1 million buyout and become and enter the free-agent market.
This is the first time Anderson has been a free agent in his professional career. Previously, he spent the past eight seasons with the Southsiders after they drafted him in the 2017 MLB Draft.
Anderson has been a key member of the White Sox lineup for the past several seasons. However, he is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. He finished the 2023 season hitting just one home run.
He also finished the year with a .245 average, the second-lowest of his career, and his slugging percentage of .296 was easily the worst he had ever seen. This is a tough pill to swallow for somebody who was the AL batting champ in 2019 and a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2020.
"Not the first time he's been dropped this year," one fan posted.
"The fall from grace needs to be studied," another fan posted.
Fans savagely pointed out this is not the first time Anderson has been dropped this year. They refer to the on-field scuffle the Chicago White Sox had with the Cleveland Guardians, where Anderson took a jab from Jose Ramirez.
Some fans are hopeful Anderson can bounce back. He is one of the most entertaining players to watch when he is playing at a high level.
Tim Anderson was not the only disappointing player for the Chicago White Sox in 2023
The 2023 season was a disaster for the Chicago White Sox. The fans were hopeful as the team entered the season with a new manager, Pedro Grifol, but that hype quickly died down.
Injuries plagued this team all season long. Tim Anderson alone went to the IL five separate times. Power-hitting Eloy Jimenez was also often injured, appearing on the IL five times. Even Yoan Moncada missed 70 games dealing with a knee injury for much of the season.
The only bright spots on the team were ace pitcher Dylan Cease and the great season Luis Robert had. Other than that, there was not much to enjoy.
The White Sox will have their hands trying to turn the team around. It will be a busy offseason on the south side of Chicago.