The Miami Marlins have designated veteran shortstop Tim Anderson for assignment, the team announced Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the Marlins will recall fellow infielder Xavier Edwards.
Anderson, 31, signed a one-year pact worth $5 million with the Marlins over the offseason with an eye on authoring a rebound season following a lousy showing in 2023. Unfortunately, he could not make good on those aspirations. Instead, he hit just .214/.237/.226 over 65 games. Anderson was striking out in a career-high 28.2% of his plate appearances, and had recorded just three extra-base hits in 234 at-bats.
In a fitting coincidence, Anderson made an error on Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies in what will serve as his final game with the Marlins:
It's unclear what will come next for Anderson. He's a two-time All-Star and a former batting champion who still boasts a 95 OPS+ for his career. At the same time, he's hit for a 51 OPS+ over his most recent 765 plate appearances. If Anderson is to get another meaningful opportunity at the big-league level, it may require him to first repair his stock with an impressive showing at Triple-A.
As for the Marlins, they entered Tuesday with a 30-54 record on the season. Their internal options at shortstop now include Edwards and Vidal Bruján (the only non-Anderson players to get burn at the six so far this season). Edwards, in 33 career big-league games, has hit .287/.333/.333 (80 OPS+).
The Marlins are expected to be heavy sellers ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. As such, Anderson likely won't be the last notable name departing from Miami over the coming few weeks.
