Farewell Old Friend: Here's Hoping Tim Anderson, White Sox Parting Ways Brings Better Days for Both

At the start of the offseason when the White Sox declined to exercise Tim Anderson's 2024 option, I took a look back on his rise and fall on the South Side of Chicago. It truly was a turbulent period of time for both the player and the franchise. Anderson went from looking like a franchise cornerstone to a pariah in the blink of an eye.

Anderson ascended from up-and-comer to AL batting champion to All-Star to national figurehead for the game as part of the "Let The Kids Play" ad campaign. He brought an undeniable flare to the game and the White Sox brand that allowed it to gain more national exposure.

Anderson had several memorable moments during his time in a Sox uniform, from the bat flip heard 'round the world against the Kansas City Royals in 2019 to an unforgettable night in an Iowa cornfield that I called in person (just ask Anthony).

Anderson worked every day to make himself better. It wasn't a linear path, but from his arrival in 2016 through the 2021 season, we saw continued development from the shortstop. For a player who wasn't a baseball lifer, Anderson continued to show great instincts and added new elements to his game with each passing year.

He fully embraced the city of Chicago and the South Side mentality that the fan base prides itself on. He and his wife, Bria, made suburban Flossmoor their year-round home and fully entrenched themselves in the community. They became advocates for the South Side by performing charitable work in neighborhoods that are often neglected, doing their part to try to lift up residents who are frequently forgotten.

For a White Sox team that so desperately needed exposure and a national presence, Anderson was able to provide that at his peak. Things looked like they were going to continue to further develop following the team's division title in 2021, but that's when the story took an unfortunate turn.

The Shifting of a Narrative

Tim Anderson was playing at an All-Star level through the end of the 2021 season and it appeared as though he was going to keep getting better year by year. Then, on May 29, 2022, Anderson was carried off the field with a severe groin strain. And after that, he was never the same, to put it simply.

When he returned from that injury nearly a month later, it was obvious he wasn't the dynamic player we became accustomed to seeing at the top of the White Sox lineup. In his final 702 plate appearances with the Sox from June 20, 2022 through the end of the 2023 season, he slashed a paltry .246/.286/.295 with a 61 wRC+ and just two home runs.

Gone were the days of TA7 being the igniter atop the White Sox lineup. The team's downward spiral can almost directly be correlated with Anderson's fall in production. His inability to stay on the field consistently and perform at his previous level had a noticeable impact on the club. A team that thought it was in the heart of its contention window saw it close when one of its figureheads was no longer the player everyone wanted or expected him to be.

As if the on-field struggles weren't enough, Anderson became embroiled in controversy off the field. TMZ headlines became more frequent than extra-base hits for Anderson, and the surrounding public narrative began to shift. A player who once looked like he could be the next White Sox icon — and a figurehead for all of the South Side — was reduced to rumor and innuendo.

It became difficult to not feel as though the off-field issues Anderson was facing were playing a direct role in his performance on the field. He did his best to avoid public discussion on the topics, but the questions continued to linger. The doubts only grew louder as his performance continued to slip from star-level to one of the worst outputs in the sport in the blink of an eye.

With Anderson's on-field play sinking further and further by the day, his perception within the fan base plummeted with it. No longer one of the most popular players on the team, Anderson was labeled a distraction and a clubhouse cancer. Throughout much of the 2023 season, questions swirled about his long-term future with the club and the decision surrounding his 2024 team option.

When the option was declined, it appeared as though his time with the team was indeed finished. However, the door remained open to a potential reunion, and until his signing with the Miami Marlins last week, some still held out hope.

A Fresh Start

Tim Anderson's residence shifting from the South Side to South Beach is probably the best for all parties involved. There's so much toxicity surrounding him and the White Sox organization right now that parting ways can only help things, sadly. Anderson gets the opportunity to join a team that reached the postseason a year ago. In doing so, he has a chance to repair his image both on and off the field. For the Sox, it's a turning of the page on an era in which promises were made but ultimately unfulfilled.

The fan reaction to Anderson's departure is a fascinating one. For a player once beloved to now receive a visceral negative reaction from White Sox fans is one that I couldn't have anticipated just a few short years ago. There has been a lot of chaos surrounding Anderson and the White Sox for the last 18 months. Hopefully this separation will lead to better days for both.

Tim Anderson's time on the South Side is a complex one. He went from franchise figurehead to pariah quicker than anyone I can remember in my time following this team. TA7 had some unforgettable moments in a White Sox uniform; we just didn't get as many of them as we all hoped. In the end, sometimes people just need to go their separate ways to get where they want and need to be.