The Diamondbacks announced that infielder Elvis Andrus has been signed to a minor league contract. Andrus receives an invitation to Arizona’s big league Spring Training camp.
Andrus joins Kevin Newman as a veteran non-roster signing battling for a backup role on the Diamondbacks’ roster. Geraldo Perdomo has already been tapped as the everyday shortstop for at least the beginning of the season, and Andrus and Newman can both play shortstop, which perhaps provides some kind of edge for one of them to beat out Emmanuel Rivera or Jace Peterson for a bench job.
Few players in the sport today have as much shortstop experience as Andrus, who has logged 17010 innings at the position over his 15 Major League seasons. Andrus had never played a position other than shortstop prior to last season, when he logged 404 innings at his usual position but also 499 2/3 innings at second base and 27 frames at third base when playing for the White Sox.
An excellent defender back in his prime with the Rangers, Andrus’ public defensive metrics have had some variance over the years, though he can still handle the glove well enough to get by in a backup capacity. The Outs Above Average metric has almost always been very favorable about his work as a shortstop and second baseman, the Defensive Runs Saved metric has been generally down on Andrus’ glovework, and UZR/150 is about somewhere in the middle. The 2023 season saw Andrus post +4 OAA, +0.2 UZR/150, and -2 DRS at shortstop, and +2 OAA, -1.6 UZR/150, 0 DRS as a second baseman.
Andrus’ output at the plate has been inconsistent at best during his career, and he hit .251/.304/.358 over 406 plate appearances in 2023 for a subpar 81 wRC+. This isn’t far off his career .269/.325/.370 mark and 86 wRC+, though it is safe to guess that the D’Backs are focusing more on Andrus’ defensive value ahead of what he can add at the plate.
It isn’t necessarily a surprise that the 35-year-old Andrus couldn’t find a guaranteed deal coming off an underwhelming season, though this does mark the first minor league deal of his career. Andrus’ past top prospect status painted him as a cornerstone for the Rangers, who signed him to a pair of extensions — a three-year, $14.4MM pact covering the 2012-14 seasons, and then a big eight-year, $120MM deal for the 2015-22 seasons. Even after that mega-deal expired, Andrus still landed a $3MM guarantee from the White Sox last winter.
Always weird to me when I see guys who’ve played as long as Andrus and had the career he’s had, try to hang on.
I guess for some guys it’s more about continuing to play than it is anything else. They don’t need the money, they aren’t gonna put up the stats, but just playing is their lifestyle. Like guys who retire and then go back to work a few days a week doing their old job, not because they’re much money in it or they need the money, but just because it gives them purpose and occupies their mind and their time.
I mean these guys, most of them anyway, have had no other ideas about what to do with their lives, and haven’t done anything, than baseball since they were like seven.
Yeah. I get it. It just feels right. I actually suspect that after the first year or two of their major contracts, they don’t *need* the money anymore. Like, it helps to have more money, to save more money, to have more in reserve, the ego and the comfort of the income is nice, but from what most of them have said on the topic of the money, after the first few million, once they buy a house, have some money set aside for retirement and a rainy day, it’s all just ego massaging to know they’re getting the salaries they get and then once those are expired because they’ve aged out of the larger contracts, they keep playing because it’s all they know.
Of course, I get that there’s always the guy who makes like $100M or $200M lifetime and goes broke within 10 years of retiring, but they’re relatively rare.
It’s why retired MLB players join the Long Island Ducks or go to play in Mexico or dudes from Korea or Japan go home and sign these league minimum style salary deals to just keep playing.
Anyway- man it’d be nice to be in a financial situation where you work purely for your sense of purpose and for your routine.
Sadly, there’s also a lot of athletes that made a ridiculous amount of money only to become more or less bankrupt. Not a whole lot of intelligence in professional sports when it comes to money management. Some of them don’t even seem to understand things like taxes or commission. He might’ve been spending more than he was making and desperately needs the money. Not saying that’s the case with Andrus, but just because he’s made a lot of money, doesn’t mean he’s still rich.
Either way, I think he would’ve been a solid depth piece for any team. At the very least he’ll be a great presence in the clubhouse for the younger guys coming up. Wish the Cubs could’ve taken him. Always enjoyed watching him play next to Beltre all those years. Best of luck to him.
@Compo yes there have been alot of athletes who have squandered their riches. But in total they are by far the minority.
As for why they keep playing, I ve gotta agree with Trillionaire here, the vast majority of athletes love the sport and don’t want it to end. Who can blame them either.
El Comando – 2091 hits and counting – Boras client, with a wife and three kids, maybe he just has fun playing the game.
Andrus is still serviceable compared to other hanger on’s plus he was 20 when he began so his service time years is more than the average 35 year old.
A fall from grace for him – not even good enough to get a MLB deal, and on a club that he has little chance of making the team.
He is a veteran who has had a good career and is facing the inevitable decline of a player, hardly a ‘fall from grace’. I was one of the few players that seemed to care on the White Sox roster for the past few seasons, so he should be a good clubhouse guy and backup SS/2nd baseman.
Fall from grace is harsh. He’s getting older and still wants to play. Good for him if he can.
I don’t think Andrus is done as a player. He is only 35, however, he has been in the majors since he was 20. His role as a player has changed. He brings depth to the infield and mentorship and leadership to the dogout. His numbers are still very decent. You can play him in three infield positions and give a breather to your starters. Andrus’ knowledge of situational baseball come very handy in situations where you need to advance a runner or keeping the ball in play. He can also provide better defense in late innings. I am sure that experienced managers love to have a guy like him. Dbacks are a very young and talented team that can only benefit from his services.
I agree. Elvis is definitely #25 or #26 on an active roster these days but he still has plenty to offer, especially on a young team.
Elvis has entered the building!
Just like some people have said on here. some people feel like they have to post somehing on every article.
Or you can post a Twitter rant about other people posting and nothing else.
Perhaps “post a comment” is a phrase you are unfamiliar with?
I figured it’d been a nice reunion in Texas considering Rangers’ need for IF depth
If Andrus hits a bit and doesn’t look washed up, I’m guessing the snakes keep Andrus eat the $3M and Jace is given the bum’s rush. Rivera is out of options and would be scooped up. Lawlar needs ABs in AAA and can be called up as an injury replacement or when rosters expand.
As a ranger fan, I’ll always have a soft spot for andrus, and a hope for him to succeed. Never a superstar player, but in his prime he was gonna give u 145-155 games, a .260-.280 avg, and a fun chemistry to the clubhouse. And even still I think he has value still in his current role, a cheap bench/minor league depth piece with a solid veteran presence
Do you think he will make the Rangers HOF? Me personally, yes.
I would think he’s gotta, if no other reason than his role on 10/11 ws teams
Make sacrifice bunts great again!
I bet this would only be a bad signing if Farhan Zaidi & the Giants signed him, instead. “Farhan dumpster diving” would be the reason instead of “Andrus has played the game since he was 6 years old”
Well, this is a trade rumors blog so I think that it is expected that people with little experience in professional sports will armchair quarterback people who actually do it for a living.
I will also guess that most of the posters are at least moderately successful professionals (e.g., 6 figure annual income or higher), just out of their element.
As for this signing, I like it. Andrus enjoys playing and he still has some value left, let him do his thing.
Andrus has become a journeyman. Kind of ashame when he was once considered a top prospect for tbe Rangers.
The best you can say is about him is that he was once considered a top prospect? Dudes a two-time AS with 34 career WAR.
I never really followed his career that closely. Sorry n Scheisse
ChiSox will be only his fourth team at 34 if he makes the roster. Juan Soto will be potentially on be on his fourth at 25. Andrus has banked $137MM so tough for anyone to hang their head on that.
Anyone else see this pickup as a huge invitation to speculate about the Dbacks making a blockbuster trade involving Geraldo Perdomo or Jordan Lawler?
No, and stop with the “trade Lawler” garbage. It ain’t happening.
suffer
Why not? If the Dbacks could get an existing superstar, right handed bat CF like Luis Robert, Jr. in place of a superstar prospect like Lawler. Why Not!
Plus the certainty of a CF bat, instead of the still question mark bat of Alex Thomas?
And then the Dbacks get Cease to strength their push for a repeat appearance in the WS!
Like I told you before, Robert is fragile and overpaid, and Cease is simply overrated. I’d rather have the future of Lawler over that, since Perdomo has looked like crap so far this spring.
suffer
Do you go to the Dbacks Spring Training games?
I remember when he used to be “sufferfortribe”
suffer,
Perdomo is hitting .067, Joc Pederson .167, Emmanuel Rivera .133, Corbin Carroll .214, Kevin Newman .225, etc. The Dbacks are in 9th place out of 16 teams in the Cactus League. The sky is falling! Who cares? It’s the second week of Spring Training. Players are getting 2 or 3 At Bats every other day! Who cares?
The speed of a 21 year old Billy Hamilton combined with the defense of a 25 year old Kevin Kiermaier. Amazing it took this much time for him to be signed.
This pickup doesn’t make sense for the Dbacks, unless there is another move afoot.
Dbacks have SS Perdomo, Lawler, and Blaze Alexander with Kevin Newman as a roughly similar backup to Andrus, and Tommy Troy in the lower minors. They certainly don’t need another veteran backup. And from Andrus’ perspective, why would he sign a minor league contract with a team with this much depth and this little chance to crack the opening day lineup?
For both team and player this signing makes little or no sense…unless there is a blockbuster trade coming where the Dbacks trade a SS for starting pitching?
I’m renewing my speculation that the Dbacks are going to trade with the White Sox to get Cease And Robert. It would take a package headlined by Lawler for example going to the Sox, along with Alex Thomas (who has a Chicago connection, and would replace Robert in CF), plus a couple of high end, near major league ready starting pitchers ( Walston, Ceccioni, Jarvis, Lin, etc.) another OF like Jake McCarthy, and another prospect bat like Melendez, Vukovitch, etc.
Minor league signings have no bearing on what they do with significant pieces of the big league roster. It’s depth. That’s all.
Oh, and that trade package you mention? Not close to enough for Robert alone, set aside the inclusion of Cease too.
mattv
One more thing, since Lawler and Alexander are probably starting the season in the minors, where would Andrus play if he doesn’t make the OD roster? Answer: there is no place for him.
By contrast, with only 3 SS lined up behind Perdomo (Lawler, Alexander and Newman), they all have slots to fit into. Adding Andrus gums up that fit. So why would the Dbacks or Andrus make this deal without knowing there is some other option?
I really can’t understand why the DBacks would sign Andrus at this point of Spring Training. I know Perdomo isn’t exactly like Ozzie Smith at SS, but he is a pretty decent switch hitter and can play as a super-utility IF/OF player. Lawler ahd Alexander should be given the opportunity to battle for the OD starting SS.
Peterson is guaranteed $5 million this season and can play all over the Infield and the OF. Rivera is limited mostly to 3B and with Eugenio Suarez on the roster doesn’t have a path to even semi-regular playing time that he had last season. Odds are Rivera is the odd man out barring injuries
ELVIS has entered the stadium !!
Thank You Very Much !!
It’s the love of the game. There’s 4 guys in my office that are all over 35 that play in organized hardball leagues. If you can play why not?
It is silly to think Lawler will be a backup. He will play a lot at triple A and need to play well enough to force his way on the roster. Veteran backup infielders are super valuable to a winning team.
I think Elvis sticks around and reinvents himself. A lot more players used to do that. I hope he goes full Juan uribe