By Dom DalDegan | February 24, 2023

Last weekend, The Chicago White Sox brought back a familiar face to play second base. Elvis Andrus will be switching off his usual position of shortstop on a one-year deal. 

Andrus brought the energy and passion that was hard to come by all of 2022. Prior to joining the Sox, it had been a while since Andrus was on a contending team. Andrus recognized the White Sox’ potential and tried getting them out of their perpetual rut by making bold claims to the media to try and pump up the team. For instance, he called the White Sox the most talented team he had ever played for. He also stated the Guardians would crumble and give up the division lead. Even though this did not come to fruition, the Sox could have finished a lot worse than .500 if not for Andrus’ presence and performance on a day-to-day basis.

Andrus also possesses the leadership that the team is lacking. The 14-year vet learned what it takes to win from MLB legend Adrian Beltre. To Andrus, Beltre was much like a big brother to him, showing him the ropes of the league. It was not a one-way street though, as Beltre credits Andrus for bringing out the best in him as well. The infield duo fed off each other and had unprecedented chemistry on the diamond. Perhaps Andrus and Tim Anderson can develop a similar rapport. After all, Anderson has had a multitude of different double play partners throughout his career. Maybe Andrus can be the one who sticks.

But it is more than just intangibles that Andrus brings to Chicago. The motivated Andrus backed up his talk on the field, posting a 1.8 WAR in only 43 games played with the White Sox. In such a small sample size Andrus hit a whopping nine home runs. Andrus attributed his sudden success in the power department to just now feeling like he can drive the ball again after he fractured his right elbow back in 2019.

“Since I got hurt and broke my arm, it’s been a constant fight with my approach and my swing and just trying to feel like I am right now.”

Nobody should be anticipating Andrus to match his 2022 effort, but his performance at the end of last year is certainly in line with him feeling better health-wise. Even if Andrus regresses to his career averages, he would still represent a nice upgrade for the Sox at second base both offensively and defensively. He also stole 11 bases for the Sox. Combining this stat with the new rule changes meant to promote steals, Andrus should be able to swipe at least twenty bags this upcoming season.

After playing close to 2000 games at shortstop throughout his career, the 34-year old thinks that playing second base will help with his longevity. He believes it will be easier on his body. The throws are shorter, the ball is generally hit less hard on the right side of the infield, and the position requires less quickness to first base.

From a depth perspective, the White Sox just got a whole lot deeper up the middle. Romy Gonzalez, who was the favorite to start at second base, can now compete with Leury Garcia for the utility spot on the roster according to new Manager Pedro Grifol. If Tim Anderson gets hurt, Andrus can fill in at shortstop while Romy, Leury, or prospect Lenyn Sosa patch up second base.

Despite not making the playoffs, Elvis Andrus’ impact on the White Sox did not go unnoticed. Andrus fit in well in the clubhouse last season and sparked the team to make a final push toward the postseason. If Andrus proves that his play last year was no fluke, he may be sticking around for longer than just one season.