MIAMI — By designating veteran Tim Anderson for assignment and recalling rookie Xavier Edwards from Triple-A Jacksonville on Tuesday afternoon, the Marlins made a decision that impacts both the present and the future.
This is the second time in recent weeks that Miami has cut ties with an offseason acquisition. The club also designated receiver Christian Bethancourt in June, which split the receiving duties between Nick Fortes and Ali Sánchez.
Anderson, who was the only major league free agent to sign a $5 million contract this offseason, hasn’t had the bounce-back campaign he and the organization had hoped for. In 65 games, he posted an OPS+ of 30 and his FanGraphs WAR of -1.2 ranked last among the 27 MLB shortstops with at least 240 plate appearances. Anderson also had a brief stint on the injured list with lower back soreness.
Anderson, a two-time All-Star, Silver Slugger and batting champion, became a free agent last winter after the White Sox declined his $14 million option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout. A lingering left medial collateral ligament strain impacted his 2023 campaign, when Anderson hit .245/.286/.296 with 18 doubles, a home run, 25 RBIs, 52 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 123 games. His .582 OPS was the lowest of any qualified hitter.
Anderson, 31, hit the ball harder and less often and ran more slowly, in a post shared by Mike Petriello of MLB.com. Although his fielding error on a potentially inning-ending double play in the sixth inning played a big role in Sunday’s loss to the Phillies, Anderson has zero defensive runs saved compared to an MLB-worst -16 in 2023.
“It’s never an easy day when you have to let go of one of your regular players,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “Tim was great in the locker room. I didn’t know him before this year. I knew him as a player, obviously, but not as a person, and he was one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. He was always out there early, working the field, doing his hitting routine, trying to figure out how to get back to where he was in 2021-22, and that’s the hardest part when guys have put in that much work and there’s just no production, nothing to show for it.
“And that’s where you feel the most compassion for the player. It’s one thing if a player doesn’t put in the work and that’s an easy thing to do. This wasn’t one of those cases. So it was a tough day for us, and hopefully he lands on his feet somewhere because he’s still young, he’s still got a lot to bring to the game. It’s just one of those toughest days.”
The move will allow the Marlins to give regular playing time to Edwards, who was playing shortstop at North Broward Prep when the Padres selected him with the 38th overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft. After getting his first taste of professional baseball that year, Edwards began spending more time at second base, followed by shortstop, third base and center field.
“X Edwards will have a chance to play shortstop almost every day,” Schumaker said. “We’ll probably give him more latitude. There’ll probably be some growing pains, but he’s athletic enough to handle it. And I think he’ll be able to prove to us and prove to himself that he can play shortstop every day at this level.”
Edwards, who was named the Jumbo Shrimp’s 2023 MVP after posting an .886 OPS in 93 games, hit .295 in 84 at-bats to open his MLB career last season. He appeared on track for an opening-day roster spot until he missed significant time with a left foot infection. He remained in the minor leagues with Anderson, Otto Lopez, Vidal Bruján and Emmanuel Rivera on the active roster. Meanwhile, the two-handed Edwards had an .826 OPS in 26 games in Triple-A until his call-up Tuesday.
“I get on base, I set the table anywhere in the lineup, I make a lot of contact, I steal bases and I play solid defense,” Edwards said. “I just make plays. I think I bring energy. I don’t talk a lot, but I think through my play I can bring energy to the team. Hopefully that will get something going.”
