Brian Anderson

Position: 3B

Bats/Throws: R/R

Age: 29 (19/4/1993)

2022 Traditional Stats: 98 G, 383 PA, .222/.311/.346/.657, 8 HR, 16 2B, 28 RBI, 75 H
2022 Advanced Stats: 87 OPS+, 90 wRC+, 0.5 WAR, .293 wOBA, 0.6 oWAR, 7 oRAR, .291 BABiP, 26.4% K%, 9.7% BB%, .309 xwOBA

Rundown

Brian Anderson is one of the most intriguing free agents left on the market. You could argue he was one of the most fascinating players available this winter full stop. After all, the third baseman established himself as an offensive weapon for the Miami Marlins before injury struck.

Drafted by the Marlins in the 2014 MLB Amateur Draft, Anderson hit .262/.337/.369/.706 in 25 games in 2017 before really making an impression the following year. In 670 plate appearances in 2018, the infielder slashed .273/.357/.400/.757 with 34 doubles, four triples, 11 homers and 65 RBI. He finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

From 2018 through to 2020, Anderson developed into a really nice piece for Miami as he hit 42 home runs. He walked in nine percent of his trips to the plate in that span. He hit .266/.350/.436 in that stretch, and his wRC+ of 115 was better than the league average.

The righty bat also boasted a 7.2 fWAR from 2018-20, making him easily the most valuable player on the Marlins roster in that time period. For context, catcher J.T. Realmuto was a distant second with a 4.8 fWAR in 2018 alone. Anderson built a reputation as a player who could impact the game in a plethora of different ways.

Defensively, the six-year veteran has been very solid too. While he did spend brief time at first and second base, Anderson was largely deployed at third and in right field. Just going on his work at the hot corner, Anderson posted five Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved between 2018-2020. He also gained a 2.8 mark from Ultimate Zone Rating.

However, the fact that Anderson is still a free agent can be traced back to the fact that he has suffered a rough couple of years, mainly down to injury. He played just 67 games in 2021 after going on the IL on three separate occasions due to a left oblique strain, and twice because of a left shoulder subluxation. He slashed just .249/.337/.378 with seven home runs and 28 RBI, to go along with a wRC+ of 98.

It didn’t get much better in 2022 as Anderson spent time on the COVID-IL. He also had to endure more stints on the normal IL with lower back spasms and a left shoulder sprain. The righty played in just 98 games and hit .222/.311/.346 with a 90 wRC+. Anderson hit just eight homers, 16 doubles, and 28 RBI with 101 strikeouts in 383 plate appearances.

Not only is the recent injury history a concern, but so too is the alarming dip in offensive production. Anderson has struggled at the plate in each of the last two years, and his strikeout percentage ballooned to 26.4% in 2022. However, there were some things to like about Anderson’s game under the hood, and they suggest a bounce-back is likely in 2023.

For instance, his maximum exit velocity was clocked at 112 mph in 2022, which put him in the 81st percentile among qualified hitters last year. Anderson also ranked in the 65th percentile in barrel rate and in the 61st percentile in terms of hard-hit rate. He was in the 99th percentile in arm strength too on Statcast’s new arm strength leaderboard, with only five qualified players ahead of him. And, finally, with a 9.7% walk rate in 2022, Anderson was still a tough out despite his struggles at the plate.

Overall, there is a lot to like about Anderson’s game. With his sprint speed ranked in the 53rd percentile in 2022, the third baseman is an average runner, he can make hard contact with the ball and put it in play, he can put together gritty at-bats, he’s got a solid arm and there are plenty of tools in the skill set that make him a player worth taking a risk on.

Oct 7, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson (15) hits a double against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning during game two of the 2020 NLDS at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Contract

Anderson can be viewed very much as an exciting reclamation project. He’s the perfect low-risk, high-reward type player and he could be willing to take a short-term deal with a team in order to boost his value.

The 29-year-old is likely to get a deal worth less than $5 million a year and that is nothing for an owner like Steve Cohen. Again, Anderson’s value is low right now but he offers plenty of upside. Anderson could take a one-year deal in the region of $4 million in order to prove the injuries are truly behind him.

Recommendation

Depth is important for a World Series contender and the fact the Mets are still looking for outfield help proves they know that statement to be true. You can never have enough good players on the roster and Anderson is an intriguing potential fit in Queens given the number of roles he could take on.

With the Carlos Correa saga now over, the assumption is that the Mets will move forward with a platoon of Eduardo Escobar and Brett Baty at third. However, given that Escobar struggled for most of 2022 and Baty is still unproven in the bigs, signing Anderson as a cost-effective insurance policy could be a smart move by the front office. After all, Anderson could platoon with Escobar until Baty is ready, or he could platoon with Baty at the hot corner if Escobar goes cold again.

Anderson can also play the outfield and that versatility certainly gives manager Buck Showalter options throughout the grind of a 162-game regular season. Anderson posted a 111 wRC+ against lefties in 2022 with a slash line of .247/.321/.425/.746, while he has hit well against righties throughout his career. As a result, he could be used as an offensive weapon off the bench late on in games.

Overall, the Mets need depth and Anderson could provide cover at both the hot corner and in the outfield too. While he hasn’t been the same player in each of the past two years due to injuries, he proved between 2018 and 2020 that he can be valuable both with the bat and the glove. Anderson will ultimately come cheap and, given his past track record coupled with his high upside, he could be a really useful addition for a New York Mets team that needs to load up in all areas if they are going to compete for a championship in 2023.