The Los Angeles Angels announced on Wednesday that they have designated shortstop, a two-time American League All-Star, for assignment.
A former Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa star, had secured a spot on the Angels’ roster after joining the team on a minor-league deal with a spring training invite. However, in 31 games this season, he batted just .205, collecting 17 hits (including three doubles) and striking out 29 times in 90 plate appearances.
The Angels made the move to clear space for utility infielder Scott Kingery, who has been performing well at Triple-A Salt Lake, hitting .373.
Being designated for assignment removes a player from the 40-man roster. The team then has seven days to trade, release, or place the player on waivers.
This isn’t Anderson’s first release in recent years — the Miami Marlins let him go on July 2 of last season after he posted a .214 average over 65 games.
Originally selected 17th overall by the Chicago White Sox out of East Central Community College in the 2013 MLB Draft, Anderson became their regular shortstop in 2016. He was later signed to a six-year, $25 million contract ahead of the 2017 season — the most lucrative ever for a player with less than a full MLB season at the time. The deal included club options for 2023 and 2024, but the White Sox declined the 2024 option, choosing a $1 million buyout over a $14 million salary.
Anderson’s peak came in 2019 when he won the AL batting title with a .335 average. He followed that by leading the league in runs and earning a Silver Slugger Award in 2020. He was also named an All-Star in both 2021 and 2022.
At the start of the 2023 season, Anderson was hitting .305 and held a career average of .288 with 97 home runs across 785 games. However, over his last 206 games, his performance dipped significantly — hitting just .226 with one home run and 208 strikeouts in 755 at-bats.
Before his professional career, Anderson was a standout athlete at Hillcrest High School in Alabama, where he earned All-State honors in baseball in 2011 and helped lead the basketball team to a state championship
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