Aug. 19: The White Sox have officially announced the signing of Andrus, with Sosa getting optioned to make room on the active roster. A space on the 40-man was created by yesterday’s outright of Yoan Aybar.
Aug. 18: The White Sox are in agreement on a contract with free-agent shortstop Elvis Andrus, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (Twitter link). He’s expected to join their Major League squad in Cleveland tomorrow. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported late last night that the Sox were in talks with Andrus, who was released by the Athletics yesterday.
The 33-year-old Andrus (34 next week) is a natural fit for a White Sox club that will be without Tim Anderson for the next three to five weeks as he continues rehabbing a torn ligament in his left hand. Andrus isn’t a premier defender at this stage of his career but is a more natural fit at short than young Lenyn Sosa, who’s been handling the position in place of Anderson recently and has managed just a .118/.143/.235 slash in an admittedly small sample of 35 plate appearances. Andrus’ .237/.301/.378 line isn’t a major improvement but is only narrowly shy of the league-average hitter in 2022.
That’s a far cry from Andrus’ .297/.337/.471 peak in 2017, when he also smashed 20 homers and swiped 25 bags to go along with quality defensive contributions at shortstop. Plugging a veteran shortstop with only slightly below-league-average offense into the lineup wasn’t something the Sox wouldn’t have been able to do just a few days ago, however, so they’re surely quite pleased to be able to add Andrus to the fold.
Defensive Runs Saved pegs Andrus’ glovework at a dismal -6 runs this season, but Ultimate Zone Rating (2.4) and Outs Above Average (zero/average) are more bullish. Even if the defense is now slightly sub-par, Sosa is considered by scouting reports a second baseman who’s ill-equipped to handle shortstop, and the early returns (-2 DRS, -2 OAA in just 41 innings) do nothing to suggest otherwise. Andrus ought to be a steadier option at the position.
Prior to his release, Andrus was playing out the final season of an eight-year, $120MM contract originally signed with the Rangers. The White Sox will only owe him the prorated league minimum for the remainder of the season, with the A’s still on the hook for the remainder of Andrus’ $14MM salary. That previous contract included a vesting $15MM player option upon Andrus reaching 550 plate appearances — he’s currently at 386 — but that’s a moot point now that he’s been released from his prior contract and signed a new one with Chicago. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season.
It’s been a frustrating season at Guaranteed Rate Field, where the Sox have endured lengthy absences from key players like Lance Lynn, Eloy Jimenez, Yasmani Grandal and now Anderson (to say nothing of shorter IL stints for Luis Robert, Lucas Giolito and others). Things haven’t gone as the front office envisioned when putting together this enviable young core, but the Sox have played better ball of late and, despite some early-season doldrums, are only two games behind the division-leading Guardians and one game back of the second-place Twins. The American League Central should be the tightest three-team race in Major League Baseball down the stretch, so even if Andrus proves a mere incremental upgrade, that marginal improvement could play a pivotal role.
Dope
We gotta win this race…
Lemonade, that cool refreshing drink
That’s classic…old Eddie Murphy doing stand-up…good times…
You got, you got, you got what I NEED!
Can’t hurt. Probably won’t help that much either. Still a very reasonable move considering their injury status.
They sure look like a team that should be performing better
Well, he has a job for 3-5 weeks. Then he will be DFA’d again.
Maybe not. He might be worth a win before the end of the season.
I like both him and Didi, Didi a bit younger, but I guess it comes down to has better defense. Andrus has hit better this season than Didi. Sosa just too raw and Romy Gonzalez not ready. Hope Andrus gets along with the club and produces!
He won’t
Hopefully Elvis night at the park hasn’t already passed
Next Friday I think
I see 8/26 is the date. Someone mentioned that it’s convenient Elvis Andrus’ birthday as well. It seems to be destiny.
I think he’ll do fine in Chicago. He was doomed in Oakland because of that clause.
Anybody think Andrus has a chance at reaching the 550 plate appearances?
I thought about that too. Doesn’t he need over 200?
Sox’s won’t let it happen even if he had a chance.
@dado, I don’t think it matters, he was released from that deal and will sign a new contract with the white Sox
Even if he has a shot Sox’s will never let it happen.
But wouldn’t the liability belong to Oakland? I believe all the WS owe is the pro-rated portion of the minimum salary.
that contract is over, doesn’t matter how many ABs he gets
dadofdonnydownvote
Anybody think Andrus has a chance at reaching the 550 plate appearances?
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Based on his PA/GS in Oakland, if he starts every game in Chicago, he winds up at 547. But that calculation is based on the Oakland lineup, where he primarily hit #6. If he were moved up in the lineup, he would get more PAs. And since the WS have a higher-scoring team, that too would create more PAs.
My guess is that he has maybe a 10% chance, probably less.
That’s a lot of work. Could have just said literally 0% chance. He longer has that contract provision, as he was released from that contract, and signed a new one.
I don’t think it works like that. Having been released i believe the buyout on the option automatically gets paid. His contract with the White Sox is a new contract and they can start him every game the rest of the way if they choose to
Have you guys been reading the article, it states plainly that the vesting provision is irrelevant. Or maybe the op just added that in.
Unfortunately, some here are quite reading challenged.
Elvis has left the Coliseum.
Speaking of Giolito, what’s going on with him anyway?
He seems to get in his own head too much when going well or struggling. Went from bad in ’18 to breakout in ’19. Started really feeling himself after shortened ’20 season, failing to realize they were facing mostly poor nlc/alc lineups. He did also pitch the G1 gem in Oakland, so could understand confidence at peak. Plainspoken comment of “I know what I’m worth” when topic of any extension possibility came up after that. The 9 figure deal was probably seen as in the bag whether an extension here or eventually FA following ’23. It’s on him to look more like a #2 type than #4 this next year plus.
Giolito can’t wait to go to a California team, this offseason. He can’t wait to get out of town. This team has a few head cases – lead by one , TLR.
Giolito is arbitration eligible next year, so he’ll still be on the team unless he can be traded. This team is a bunch of hot garbage. They aren’t going to the playoffs this year. They should let Sosa or Gonzalez play and see if they can handle it.
@Southside Fan sooooo you’ve not seen what Sosa is doing…?
Which is being completely overmatched at the plate.
Sosa can’t handle it. Those numbers are actually better than I thought, and they are some of the worst numbers you’ll ever see. He’s hurting the team, far more than helping it. Then again, most of them are hurting the team. If it were any other owner in sports, Tony would’ve been gone months ago. Reinsdorf is 86 and clueless. The game has passed both of these guys by. Without question, the most disappointing team in baseball this year.
Well then you try it without your first string LF, CF, 2B, SS, and C. Plus 2 starters and 2 relief pitchers Dusty Baker is TLR’s age and he manages the best team in the AL because the GM gets him players that can suit up and play. If age is a factor then why is AJ Hinch and the Tigers playing so poorly.
Would’ve rather seen Gregorious
Yeah, seemed like a good fit for Didi but it’s only for 3-5 weeks and back to the scrap heap anyway. I am betting Didi is just trying to get completely healthy. Last I heard he had a balky knee still. When you see how many games he has missed due to injury since his last good year in NY, you start to see where the origins of his problems could lie. If he ever gets 100% healthy some team is gonna get a decent 1 year make good contract out of him and a shot at a decent prospect at the deadline.
Maybe you.
Elvis left the building in Oakland to go to Chicago and enter their building lol…
Ok
A’s did right by him releasing him instead of putting him on waivers so he could find a job quicker. Now he has the chance he wanted to prove he is worth a contract for next year.
Elvis has entered the building
Doesn’t matter. He won’t move the needle for this team. The offense is practically non existent
That’s a pretty obvious move. We will see if the White Sox trade “cash considerations” for someone off the A’s in the off-season as a thank you.
Haha, hardly.
I don’t mean serious cash, I mean buying lunch for the A’s front office some winter afternoon.
Honus Wagner-like upgrade over Leury Garcia.
Anything or anyone who would keep Leury Garcia on the bench until we’re up by 5 runs in the 8th inning is an immediate shot in the arm upgrade!
If they specifically want defense and aren’t as worried about the bat, Andrelton Simmons might be a better fit.
Might as well have brought Yolmer back lol.
This guy is the perfect example of not great but not bad. Always seemed like a average to decent all around ball player. Solid career offensively and defensively with Texas. They kept him around for a good 10 years or so
@Yanks2; agreed, solid career. But is he a cautionary tale for those GMs in the hunt for that SS (in this off seasons free agent SS group who’s up for a long term/big payday) deal?
Solid career, yes, but did the Rangers get their moneys worth with this long term signing approach? Hmmm.
And how has 8 yrs at 15 mil in 2015 appreciated in value in today’s market anyway?
Can someone explain why his 15M option wouldn’t still vest with 550 PA’s (if he can get there). Then Elvis picks up the 15M option, Oakland is on the hook for 15M minus the league minimum he gets paid from the Whitesox (or whoever else). Is this not the case? Someone please explain. Thanks.
First, you might want to try reading the article.
Seriously just read the article, or maybe the OP just added it.
The article says the player option is void. I think @barrybonds is just asking why. And I think it’s because the option hadn’t yet vested when the contract was terminated.
Wonder though what would have happened if Andrus had already met the conditions and the player option had fully vested in Oakland. Would it only have been an option to play for the A’s? Or would it have conveyed to a new team? And if it had conveyed, who would pay?
About 25 posters on this website called this one.
With the Sox lineup All Shook Up, I guess It’s Now or Never for Elvis. The Sox could use a Good Luck Charm, for sure. Don’t know how much playing time he’ll get, but that’s up to the Big Boss Man.
Called this earlier. Best option out there as a bandaid fix to get them thru playoff race. Sox fo can’t lose considering what they’ve been rolling out at the infield
Andrus is a better player than half of the shortstops currently in MLB
Andres is a better player than half of the shortstops currently in MLB
So, with both those entries machur, our we OK to assume that he, no matter how you spell it, is the best shortstop in baseball?
Amazing that Leury going on the DL led them to grab a player off waivers who is just an avg player, but is still way better than Leury.
Finally. Sox with the opportunity to utilize someone on the As dime. Slowly chipping away at the enormous deficit from the Nick Swisher pickup
Well they got a better fielding SS than TA. If he hits just .250 or avg. 1 hit per game , he at a minimum gives the team a chance to win. TA can’t do that when he can’t suit up and ends up only playing 100 games this year. Trade TA in the winter and sign someone durable.
Pigs will fly before that happens.
The will have a new SS ready soon, so watch what you say. Trade TA while you can get players for him.
mlb.com/prospects/whitesox/colson-montgomery-69565…
Montgomery looks good early days with the bat, but making a ton of errors. They need some strong teaching on the fundamentals if he is going to stick at SS. Position player development they are arguably the worst in mlb. They need a FO overhaul for this to change.
TA error rate in minors was horrible and it carried over to the majors. At least there is hope Colson will get better. A young Cal Ripken in the making and a lefty bat
You’re welcome!
Smart pickup for CWS.
“Plugging a veteran shortstop with only slightly below-league-average offense into the lineup wasn’t something the Sox wouldn’t have been able to do just a few days ago, however, so they’re surely quite pleased to be able to add Andrus to the fold.”
This is a bit of a brain twister.
Not really, just a wordy way to say Sosa was overmatched on both sides of the ball and they had no better options.
How so?
We’re saved. If he would of been here yesterday they would of only lost 19-5. Big difference.
Honestly anybody but leaury ..