The Angels have a strong interest in , according to , with Los Angeles eyeing Anderson as a po sible second base candidate. Though Anderson has been a shortstop for virtually his entire eight-year career in the majors, he acknowledged that he would be open to becoming a second baseman. Really, at this point, it doesnt matter. Im a shortstop/second baseman , Anderson said in an interview with MLB.coms Scott Merkin. Its whatever to allow my career to keep going. Im not going to wrestle with a team that Im this or Im that. Its just an honor and a ble sing to fit in any lineup as a starter considering how hard this game is. Short would be my first choice, but I also understand how older guys are viewed, now that Im stepping into that phase, which sucks and Jalen Lecque Jersey is different. I just want to continue to keep building on what I started and get back to what I used to be . Anderson just turned 30 last June, but is at a career cro sroads in the wake of a disastrous final season with the White Sox. Anderson hit .318/.347/.474 over 1641 plate appearances with Chicago from 2019-22, a four-year run that included two All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger Award, and a batting title. It certainly looked like Anderson was a solid bet to keep up that level of production heading into 2023, but a knee sprain (and a three-week injured list stint) early in the season seemed to throw Anderson off for the rest of the year. Anderson hit only .245/.286/.296 over 524 PA, and he had the lowest wRC+ (60) of any qualified hitter in baseball. This led the White Sox to decline their $14MM club option on Andersons services for 2024, instead buying him out for $1MM and sending the veteran infielder into the free agent market for the first time in his career. Though the Sox didnt have any luck in Anderson before the deadline to decide on his contract option, it makes sense why the Angels or other clubs would be interested in him as a free agent at a lower price tag. A return to good health and a change of scenery might well get Anderson back to the All-Star form he showed as recently as 2022, making him an intriguing bounce-back candidate. It seems like a lock that Anderson and his reps at Excel will pursue a one-year contract this winter, in the hopes that Anderson can play well and then be lined up for a more lucrative longer-term deal next offseason. This might fit well with the Angels plans, as GM Perry Minasian added mostly shorter-term deals in an attempt to bolster the clubs depth around superstars and . The tactic didnt work, as the Angels stumbled to their eighth straight losing record and their ninth straight year without a postseason appearance. With Ohtanis po sible departure in free agency now looming, it remains to be seen how the Angels might approach the lo s of their two-way star, yet signing Anderson to a one-year deal makes sense whether the Halos are looking to contend in 2024 or if they might take a step back to re-evaluate, if not nece sarily rebuild. Either way, the Angels would be hoping Anderson rebounds, as he could at least become a trade chip at the deadline if Los Angeles fell short again. figures to be the top candidate for everyday shortstop work, though having Anderson on hand provides L.A. with some depth if Neto struggles in his sophomore season. From a fielding perspective, Neto looks to be the better option given how Andersons glovework has been so subpar over the last two seasons, so it would seem like second base might be the Angels preferred position for the veteran. However, even that isnt a clean fit, as and would seemingly have the keystone covered. This doesnt exactly preclude an Anderson signing, as Rengifo could play third base if encounters more injury i sues, and Drury could also play first base in a timeshare with . If Ohtani leaves, the DH spot would now be open for the Angels to find more at-bats for various players on the roster. James Johnson Jersey