The 34-year-old Elvis Andrus isn’t the player he once was.
However, he proved last year that he still has a lot to offer an MLB team.
On Sunday, the Chicago White Sox made him their most recent addition on a one-year, $3 million contract.
He will play second base for Chicago, which was a position of need for them.
Andrus filled in admirably at shortstop when Tim Anderson was injured last year.
With the Oakland Athletics, he had a .673 OPS, but he upped that number to .773 in Chicago.
He showed a lot of power for his standards during his stint on the South Side, with nine homers and a .464 slugging percentage.
He also had a 119 wRC+, or 19 percent better than the league average offensive player.
If he can come remotely close to those numbers in 2023, he will be far and away the best option to play second on the roster.
The value of having Andrus goes well beyond what happens on the field, though.
And he instantly becomes a key leader in the clubhouse. They needed someone for that role. https://t.co/RDCMrkm33G
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) February 20, 2023
He has loads of experience, having played in two World Series when he was with the Texas Rangers and having stayed in MLB since he was 20.
With solid defense, speed, and modest power, he has built an impressive career that has seen him accumulate 1,997 hits.
He will become one of just a handful of major leaguers throughout history with at least 2,000 hits, barring an injury.
He has become a veteran leader, and front offices like having those around a clubhouse.
The White Sox needed him on the field, but also off of it.
Tough times might be ahead for them, with the Mike Clevinger controversy and the post-Tony La Russa era.
He will be an asset in Chicago.
NEXT:
The White Sox Reach An Agreement With Key Veteran Infielder
