Chicago White Sox legend thinks the team is afraid of Tim Anderson

Outside of the 2023 Major League Baseball season marking the end of the Chicago White Sox’s current contention window, the season also appears to be marking the end of shortstop Tim Anderson’s time as the face of the organization.

Anderson has struggled this season for the White Sox and the struggles can be traced back to injuries and matters taking place off the field.

Anderson is pacing to have the worst season of his career with the White Sox as he is slashing .223/.259/.263 with a wRC+ of 45 through 290 plate appearances.

Anderson was plagued with a shoulder and knee injury for much of the first half of the season but the White Sox have remained content on keeping their shortstop active as he attempts to play through injury. Further complicating matters for Anderson and the White Sox is that first-year manager Pedro Grifol does not seem open to the idea of moving him down to the bottom third of the lineup.

Anderson has made comments earlier this season that would seem to suggest that he is not being supported by the team and in an interview with “The Mully and Haugh” Show on Wednesday morning, former White Sox manager and current pre-and-post game analyst Ozzie Guillen had this to say about the team’s dynamic with their starting shortstop.

"“I will myself,” Guillen said. “I’d do it like, ‘That’s the way we’re going to do it. If you don’t like it, OK, brother, sorry. Tell me why I should keep you batting second. You tell me the reason, then I might react. But the way you’re playing now.’ They’re scared of TA. They are. They are scared of TA. They panic with TA. TA is a great kid.-Ozzie Guillien via 670 The Score"

A prominent Chicago White Sox voice calls out the team’s handling of shortstop Tim Anderson.

As the White Sox are faced with being sellers at the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline and identifying the core players that they are rebuilding around, Anderson does not appear to be among the players that are being factored into the team’s long-term plans.

At this point, the best outcome for all parties involved would be a trade as Anderson being a part of the next contending core of the White Sox may just be a constant reminder of what went wrong during the first go-around.