How should the White Sox handle shortstop with Tim Anderson out? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
With Tim Anderson out for the next six weeks after tearing a ligament in his left hand, the White Sox will have to make a playoff push without their longtime shortstop and all-star. Although Anderson had been struggling since his return from a groin injury (.249/.287/.290 in 39 games), it’s never easy to replace someone who can help carry a lineup once he’s right.
However, Rick Hahn, Tony La Russa, and the rest of the powers that be now have a decision to make – who is going to be filling in at shortstop in Anderson’s absence? Given that the trade deadline has passed, the club has limited out-of-house solutions to this situation. Luckily, they do have a few in-house solutions – but which one is the right one?
Here are the pros and cons of five options for the White Sox to fill Anderson’s absence.
Option #1: Leury Garcia main SS, Lenyn Sosa backup
This is the first option listed because it’s the immediate option Tony La Russa went to on Tuesday. Leury Garcia has been La Russa’s favorite utility player since the beginning of his second tenure with the White Sox, and throughout a long major league career, Garcia is no stranger to some extended periods of receiving the lion’s share of starts for a club. His versatility would allow him to handle SS – which, technically, is his natural position despite how little he’s played it. He is at his best as a utility/bench bat but has been getting enough regular opportunities this season to keep himself fresh for a longer stretch of starts.
Pros: Garcia has shown that he can be productive before when given the opportunity. Garcia hit .285/.358/.422 in 81 games last season from June 3 to October 3, which was comprised of 312 plate appearances – not an insignificant number. With a combined -1 OAA at shortstop between 2020-2022, Garcia’s not a liability at the position, even if he won’t win the Sox games. The team would be banking on a strong stretch similar to his 2021 production if they chose to make Garcia the new starting shortstop.
Cons: The cons are pretty clear here – Garcia’s been one of the worst offensive players in baseball this season. He is hitting just .211/.257/.274 this season, and his -0.9 fWAR would be tied with Miguel Cabrera for the third-worst in baseball if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. The Sox can’t afford to replace Anderson – who was struggling with his own right – with the current version of Leury Garcia as the team struggles to score runs. For as much as Anderson has struggled for the better part of two months, Garcia has been even less productive.
Option #2: Lenyn Sosa main SS, Leury Garcia backup
While not the incumbent at the position, this is likely the preferred option by most White Sox fans. Lenyn Sosa has sprung onto the scene this season, and at just 22 years old, he dominated AA (.331/.384/.549) and was starting to heat up in AAA as well (.271/.313/.424 over his last 15 AAA games). If the White Sox are serious about making Sosa a part of the future – perhaps as early as next season with a projected opening at 2B – it would make sense for the club to find a way to give Sosa an extended tryout at the major league level .
Pros: Sosa provides a fresh breath of air for the White Sox, and a new face as the replacement for TA short-term could be the sort of spark this struggling White Sox offense needs down the stretch. Sosa hit his first major league homer in his first start since being recalled in game two on Tuesday night, so it’s clear that the power has the ability to translate from the minors. He’s also known to be a good defender, so the team wouldn’t lose anything defensively by playing him consistently.
Cons: Sosa will likely hit a “rookie wall” of some sorts with more playing time. At every level in his career, he’s taken some time to adjust to the new level of pitching he’s facing before eventually really starting to mash. The majors will likely be no different – can the White Sox afford for Sosa to work through some rookie struggles in the middle of a playoff chase? Likely not – but, in his defense, he would just have to put up better numbers than Leury Garcia’s .511 OPS.
Read through the other three options at shortstop for the White Sox – including an outside-the-box idea – by finishing this article at soxon35th.com.
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