INQUISITR.COM / Sports

White Sox, Tim Anderson have new deal, Jose Quintana to be traded?

By Stephen Forsha
Published on: 05:42 PST, Mar 21, 2017

Opening Day is less than two weeks away, and the Chicago White Sox have signed one of their potential stars — Tim Anderson — to a six-year contract extension for $25 million according to multiple reports.

This spring, Anderson is batting 0.333 with an 0.806 on-base percentage, along with 12 hits, one home run, and three RBIs in 36 at-bats. Last season, in his rookie year with the White Sox, Anderson battled 0.283 with 116 hits nine home runs and 30 RBIs.

Anderson had 10 stolen bases for the White Sox in 2016, with an on-base percentage of 0.306. With the potential of being one of the top shortstops in all of baseball as he continues the progression of his White Sox career, Anderson had a 0.965 fielding percentage in his rookie season, playing in the field for 98 games while making 97 starts.

Anderson averaged more than a strikeout per game with 117 strikeouts in 99 games at the plate and walked just 13 times. Anderson also had six triples and 22 doubles last season.

As for Anderson’s new contract with the White Sox, Coleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune wrote about the details of the new six-year deal for Anderson and the White Sox.

“The contract includes two club options that would give the Sox control of the 23-year-old through 2024 and would bring the value of the deal to $50.5 million if both are exercised. Anderson likely would have been arbitration-eligible for the 2020 season and a free agent after the 2022 season.”

What does this deal prove about the White Sox? According to Bob Nightengale of The USA Today, this is a record deal that Anderson has received.

“The deal is the most lucrative contract given to a player with less than one year’s service in baseball history.”

Anderson staying with the White Sox is smart for both sides, as Anderson has financial security, and the White Sox have a shortstop full of great potential for at least the next six seasons at a great price for the franchise; especially as they work to rebuild their roster with more youth.

Speaking of rebuilding the White Sox and their roster, there is still the question of starting pitcher Jose Quintana and how much longer he’ll be in the White Sox pitching rotation with trade talks still swirling around him as well.

One team that is said to be very interested in the White Sox starter is the New York Yankees. The Yankees still could put more emphasis on their starting rotation, and with the White Sox still looking to add prospects to their franchise, a deal between the two teams could eventually happen.

One MLB reporter, George A. King III of the New York Post, wrote how the Yankees are “downplaying” a potential deal with the White Sox involving Quintana. King quoted Yankees GM Brian Chashman on the Yankees pitching rotation in a recent article.

“We are not expecting to go elsewhere,” Cashman said via phone Monday from West Palm Beach, Fla., where the Yankees played the Nationals. “I am expecting we will go with what we got.”

Last season, Quintana was 13-12 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 181 strikeouts, and 50 walks in 32 starts.

This spring, Quintana has pitched just two innings with the White Sox due to the World Baseball Classic. Pitching for Columbia, Quintana finished allowing just one hit and totaled four strikeouts in the WBC in nearly six innings of work.

Unless the White Sox get a big start to the season and are in contention in July, Quintana will most likely be traded by the White Sox sooner, rather than later. The White Sox ace might be traded before the start of the regular season, but either way, the White Sox are working to do what is best for their roster during their full rebuild.

[Featured Image by Jason Miller/Getty Images]

Share this article: White Sox, Tim Anderson have new deal, Jose Quintana to be traded?
Chicago White Sox Jose Quintana
More from Inquisitr