Chicago White Sox: The strange journey of Elvis Andrus

No one could have imagined that Elvis Andrus would have been a hot commodity in free agency when he signed with the Chicago White Sox back in August.

He had been released by the A’s after he complained when they had cut his playing time. Andrus had a point; he had been playing well, but the A’s were looking to avoid having his option for 2023 vest. At the same time, as they were on their way to the second worst record in the league, it made sense for the A’s to see what they had in prospect Nick Allen.

Former Chicago White Sox shortstop Elvis Andrus suddenly a hot commodity

Andrus had not been a useful option since the end of the 2017 season. He had posted a 76 OPS+ with 24 homers and 77 doubles in his 1728 plate appearances from 2018 through 2021 while costing the Rangers and A’s a combined 19 runs defensively. He did steal 51 bases but he was not on base enough for that speed to matter.

That narrative changed last year. Andrus posted a 103 OPS+ in his 577 plate appearances between the A’s and White Sox, hitting 17 homers and 32 doubles while stealing 18 bases. He went on an impressive run in Chicago, hitting nine homers and stealing 11 bases in his 43 games as the White Sox desperately attempted to claw their way into the playoff chase.

Those final few weeks may have made a difference for Andrus. Now that the top four options at short are off the market, he is the best player left at the position. His resurgence has made him a popular option in free agency, someone that a team could actually consider an upgrade at the poisition.

It is a stark contrast from how Andrus was viewed at the beginning of the 2022 season. There was no question that he would be in free agency at this point considering the A’s lack of interest in paying his option. However, the expectation was that Andrus would need to settle for a minor league deal or would receive a low budget one year, make good offer. Now, it is possible that he receives a multi-year deal from a contending team desperate to find an upgrade at the position.

Elvis Andrus had been barely hanging on to a major league career at the beginning of the 2022 season. His time with the Chicago White Sox changed everything.