Pittsburgh Pirates: Two Free Agents To Go All-In On And One To Avoid

One To Avoid

The player they should avoid pursuing is Tim Anderson. The Chicago White Sox recently turned down their team option on the former two-time All-Star. But given his recent season, the Pirates would probably be better sticking to Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero, and Ji-Hwan Bae to handle second base duties, instead of signing Anderson.

Anderson had a horrific season, both at the plate and with the glove. In 524 plate appearances, Anderson batted .245/.286/.296. Anderson walked in just 5% of his plate appearances, and struck out at a below average 23.3% rate. Anderson has never been known for his power, but he didn’t hit a home run until July 29th, and it would be the one and only long ball of his season. Anderson finished the year with a .260 wOBA, and 60 wRC+.

Although he started to see some time at second base, Anderson’s defense at shortstop was well below average. He clocked in with -16 defensive runs saved and -1 out above average. Anderson has struggled with injuries throughout his career, and he hasn’t played more than 123 games since the 2018 season. 

I understand that Anderson was a quality hitter for a handful of seasons. From 2019-2022, the batted .318/.347/.473 with a .350 wOBA, and 123 wRC+. He batted above .300 with a wRC+ of at least 110 for four seasons in a row. But given his health, 2023 season, and the fact he’s about to turn 31, I would rather just see the Pirates stick to their internal options.