Tim Anderson ready to start anew with Angels

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger's Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- Tim Anderson isn’t that far removed from being considered one of baseball’s best shortstops.

But after two rough seasons offensively, the 31-year-old signed a Minor League deal with the Angels, who are hoping for a bounce-back campaign from the two-time All-Star and 2019 American League batting champ. Anderson spoke with MLB.com’s Scott Merkin and had plenty to say about getting a chance with the Angels and his excitement to work with manager Ron Washington and his coaching staff.

“It’s set up for a beautiful story,” Anderson said. “It’s set up for a great story. It’s just overcoming a lot of things. It’s not like I haven’t overcome a lot of things in my career. This is just another challenge that could be positive, that could be a great hurdle, that could be a turning point in my career. I’m excited about it.”

Anderson slashed a combined .318/.347/.473 with 51 homers and 53 stolen bases in 374 games with the White Sox from 2019-22 before hitting just one homer in 123 games with Chicago in '23. He signed a one-year deal worth $5 million with the Marlins last offseason but hit .214 with no homers in 65 games before getting designated for assignment in early July.

Anderson said things started to change after a leg injury he sustained early in the 2023 season with the White Sox. He took time off to retool his mechanics and clear his head and believes he’s now in a better place.

“I started creating bad habits with my swing,” Anderson said. “I had that injury to the leg, so once I came back, I lost the feel, I lost the touch, I lost a lot. Everything felt different. So, it caused me to start doing the wrong things and start creating that bad habit. I got caught up in that bad habit and that became a norm. That’s what caused the frustration. So, once I got released, I got in the lab and I’ve been training to break that bad habit.”

Anderson admitted it was tough mentally and that he lost confidence, but it was important for him to take time away from the game to get everything back in order. He never seriously pondered retirement, though he felt discouraged and frustrated because of his struggles.

“I thought about a lot of things, but why would I stop?” Anderson said. “I think it’s a matter of just getting in the lab, and I like to learn and I kind of pick up on things quick, so it’s a matter of getting in a lab and having the time. I couldn’t fix that throughout the season. It’s just the truth of it. I couldn’t fix my swing throughout the season, so I really just shut it down up to this opportunity with the Angels. I’m looking forward to with working with some guys that I’ve been with in the past.”

Anderson said he’s been in touch with Washington in recent offseasons to pick his brain about defense and is excited to work with him this spring. He also was a teammate of infield coach Ryan Goins with Chicago from 2019-20 and worked with offensive coordinator Tim Laker as a Minor Leaguer in the White Sox organization.

“To be able to finally come full circle, very thankful, very grateful,” Anderson said. “I understand what I’m up against. I understand what’s going on. But I’m just thankful for the opportunity, and my goal is to go out and make them excited about it as well.”

Anderson knows Washington’s reputation as an infield guru and believes that the manager will be a solid influence. Anderson is heading to camp competing for a spot on a roster for the first time since he was a rookie with the White Sox, but he’s looking at it in a positive light and isn’t taking anything for granted.

“[Washington] knows his stuff, so I’m excited to really learn from him,” Anderson said. “I’m definitely open. I’m open. I don’t have no say-so in anything. … I can’t feel no way about anything. I don’t have any leverage. I got nothing. I’m stripped down, which is OK. I like being in that point, because it got me back in the hunger and the swing of things of really trying to enjoy the game a lot more than I did before.”