Andrus up for switch to second base after rejoining White Sox
They said so long to Elvis Andrus at the end of last season, but the White Sox never said goodbye.
"We wanted to bring him back from some time in September, if not August, because he fit," Sox general manager Rick Hahn told reporters in Arizona on Monday.
Claimed off waivers from the Athletics on Aug. 19 to replace injured shortstop Tim Anderson, Andrus stepped in and stepped up, hitting .271/.309/.464 with 9 home runs and 28 RBI over 43 games.
A free agent when the season ended, Andrus attracted interest from teams like the Red Sox, Angels and Diamondbacks.
The 34-year-old veteran wound up rejoining the White Sox on Monday, agreeing to a one-year contract at a bargain rate of $3 million.
"I loved it," Andrus said of his abbreviated stay with the Sox last season. "The joy that I had for a month, I wanted to be able to stretch that feeling to six, seven, eight months. It was an easy decision for me to come back."
Andrus returns to the White Sox with a new position.
With Anderson fully recovered from a finger injury, Andrus is going to be the Sox's regular second baseman. Over a 14-year career with Texas and Oakland, he only played shortstop.
"At some point, you do have to have a little bit of faith in a guy's athleticism and his work ethic," Hahn said. "With the change in the (defensive) shift rules, having someone with range and a strong arm and good instincts is going to be of added benefit in the middle infield. We think Elvis profiles that way.
"There certainly is going to be no doubt that he's going to put the work in to make himself as good as possible at that position and look forward to get started today."
The White Sox went through their first full-squad workout of spring training Monday and Andrus took groundballs at second base.
"I don't think it's going to be such a big challenge for me, it's just putting in the work," he said. "The ABCs of playing second is pretty much the same (as shortstop). It's more double plays, that's the play I'm kind of working on and will continue to work on so I can make it a routine for me.
"That's the only thing because it's not in-front-of-me throws. I pretty much have to turn myself. But I don't think it's going to be that hard."
While he's shifting from short to second, Andrus will have the same presence in the clubhouse.
"Everyone saw what he was capable of doing on the field over his stretch of time with us, which obviously was extremely productive," Hahn said. "What I think many people who weren't close to the team may well have missed was the impact he had in our clubhouse. He is tremendous role model for our young players.
"His work ethic, his professionalism, the way he plays the game, are all great benefits to that club."