Anderson awaits, but Saladino gives Sox something to think about at shortstop
Can Tim Anderson catch? Maybe start making the transition to designated hitter?
If you're confused, or are drawing a blank on Anderson, he was the guy featured here last week.
I strongly urged the Chicago White Sox to call up Anderson - far and way the club's top minor-league prospect - from Class AAA Charlotte, start him at shortstop and figure out something else for Jimmy Rollins.
I actually still feel that way, and it's not like I'm telling general manager Rick Hahn something he doesn't already know.
"We talked, not just with Timmy but with other guys, about how the good ones sort of have a way of showing everybody what their time frame should be as opposed to sticking to a set schedule," Hahn told reporters Tuesday in New York. "It certainly was our belief that Timmy had the potential to force that time frame, move off our original time frame of him likely spending the whole year in Charlotte.
"His month of May showed you he needs to be in that conversation. He certainly had a great offensive and defensive month in May, and he's starting to force the issue a little bit."
While continuing to make defensive strides at shortstop, Anderson posted a May hitting line of .349/.387/.488 for Charlotte, adding 5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 13 RBI and 6 stolen bases.
Anderson did strike out a lot, 25 times in 129 at-bats, but he also showed an improved eye at the plate with 8 walks.
There are very few sure things in major-league baseball, and Anderson is not one of them.
On the other hand, he is the White Sox's best positional prospect in years, and the 22-year-old Alabama native is making a beeline toward U.S. Cellular Field.
In the event the Sox feel Anderson needs another month or two - or in the event Anderson completely flops when he does take the next step - it's not all bad.
While the 37-year-old Rollins has made more of an impact as a quiet leader in his first two months with the White Sox, Tyler Saladino has been making some serious noise with his strong all-around play while forcing his way into the starting lineup as the regular shortstop.
"He doesn't overreact to situations," manager Robin Ventura told reporters on Wednesday. "He's very instinctive, good on his feet, quick reactions. He's a baseball player. He just seems to react properly any time the ball is put in play."
The key description there is baseball player.
Saladino is not a physical marvel at 6-foot, 200 pounds, and he's not a five-tool player.
He is a gifted defender, and Saladino first showed that last season when he came up from Charlotte on June 10 and took over as the Sox's third baseman in a game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Defensively, Saladino is good enough to start for any team in the majors.
Offensively, the San Diego native still has a lot to prove.
Saladino played in 68 games for the White Sox as a rookie and slashed .225/.267/.335.
Positioned to open the current season as the starting shortstop, Saladino lost his job early in spring training when the Sox signed Rollins to a one-year, $2 million contract.
The day before Rollins joined the White Sox, Saladino shrugged off being No. 1 on the depth chart at short.
"I'm never really comfortable, and I never want to be," he said.
That sounds a lot like a player that bounced from Palomar College to Oral Roberts University to five full seasons in the minor leagues before finally getting a shot.
For now, Saladino is playing a lot like the Giants' Brandon Crawford, and that is a good thing.
With 5 hits in his last 14 at-bats, including 2 home runs and 5 RBI, Saladino has upped his hitting line to .270/.300/.419.
As the White Sox continue to ponder Anderson's future, look for Saladino to continue making the most of the present.
Tale of the tape
Comparing White Sox shortstops Tyler Saladino and Jimmy Rollins:
Saladino
Age: 26
Games: 26
Batting average: .270
HR: 3
RBI: 13
OBP: .300
OPS: .719
Rollins
Age: 37
Games: 37
Batting average: .225
HR: 2
RBI: 8
OBP: .285
OPS: .618