The Chicago White Sox designated veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins for assignment Friday and called up highly touted prospect Tim Anderson to fill the roster void.
The White Sox announced the moves on their official Twitter feed.
Rollins, once among the most offensively gifted shortstops in the league, failed to produce for Chicago through the first couple of months of the 2016 season. The former National League MVP had a .221 batting average with five steals and two homers through 41 games.
The 37-year-old veteran signed with the White Sox back in February. He won a starting job out of spring training but couldn’t rediscover his former magic once the regular season got underway.
It’s unclear what the next step will be for the longtime Philadelphia Phillies star, who spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. His skills have shown plenty of natural erosion from the days when he was hitting 20 home runs and stealing 40 bags in Philly.
Even his play in the field, which was also a major asset early in his career, has faded. He posted minus-three defensive runs saved in 2016, according to FanGraphs.
Assuming he has no plans for playing minor league ball while waiting for another chance, he’ll have to see whether another team shows interest. That could happen either through a trade while he’s on the DFA list or if he ends up getting released.
Rollins stated after Chicago signed him that he planned to play “until basically they take the uniform and tell me to go coach somewhere,” per Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.
Anderson, 22, heads to Chicago after posting a .304 average with 11 stolen bases and four home runs with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. He’s the franchise’s No. 2-rated prospect, behind only pitcher Carson Fulmer, according to MLB.com.
Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times noted Rollins spoke highly of the rising star back in March after seeing him in the spring.
“They like him here. He has a bright future,” Rollins said. “He has some pop, which is good. Just continue to polish himself defensively and in the field—footwork, turning double plays and making sure he turns the makes the routine plays over and over.”
The White Sox hoped strong play from Rollins would give Anderson more time in the minors to develop those defensive skills. While the call-up may have come early, the young infielder’s offensive numbers in the minors suggest he’s ready for the challenge.
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