"Tim Anderson fall off needs to be studied" "I guess Jose Ramirez won" - MLB fans react as Marlins DFA former All-Star shortstop

Tim Anderson had a tough time towards the end of his time with the Chicago White Sox, and he ultimately left the team. When he signed with the Miami Marlins, both he and the team were hoping for a fresh start.

Despite being a former All-Star shortstop, he was not able to reach that level again. On July 2, the Marlins decided to part ways with him by designating him for assignment.

Anderson recorded -1.2 fWAR this year, one of the worst marks in baseball. He was hitting .214 with a 31 wRC+. His OPS was an alarming .463. His strikeout rate was up to 28.2% and his walk rate sank to 2.9%. MLB fans had their say on this big but surprising move for the Marlins.

"Down goes Anderson (to the minors)," one joked.

"All time fall off," another added.

"He was genuinely one of the better hitters in the league. His fall off needs to be studied," one noted.

"I still cannot believe what happened to him… he was pacing to be a face of the league," another said.

Anderson will likely land somewhere else, as an MLB team might be inclined to take a cheap swing on a former All-Star who's fallen on hard times.

---

Tim Anderson's stunning fall from grace

Tim Anderson used to be a good hitter, competing for and winning batting titles in the American League. He was a solid defender and an All-Star, someone the Chicago White Sox could build around. Thanks to his boisterous demeanor, he was also a player the league could watch and have fun with.

Tim Anderson has fallen off (IMAGN)

That has all come crashing down with his latest DFA from the Marlins. It arguably began long before that, but the saga finally ended on July 2. From 2019 to 2022, Anderson was a good hitter by wRC+.

• 128
• 140
• 118
• 110

Those are all above-average (100) numbers. Then, in 2023, he dropped to 60 and has a 31 this season. His fWAR during that time shows a similar stunning decline:

• 4.5
• 2.3
• 4.3
• 2.2

After that, he dropped to -0.2 over a full season and has been worth -1.2 fWAR in just 65 games this year as well.