The Atlanta Braves mostly handled their business against the Miami Marlins last season.

Atlanta went 9-4 against The Fish, with three of Atlanta’s losses to Miami coming in mid-September after the Braves had already locked up the NL East for a 6th straight season. The Braves outscored Miami 96-65 in their matchups in 2023, with over half of Miami’s total runs (36) coming in those final three games.

In an effort to fight back, Miami signed shortstop Tim Anderson, formerly of the Chicago White Sox, to a one-year deal worth $5M, according to multiple reports.

Anderson, who turns 31 this season, was once a rising star in baseball for his offensive prowess, coming in 7th in MVP voting in the shortened 2020 season and leading all of baseball with a .335 batting average in 2019.

But the last few seasons have been tough for Anderson, as he’s struggled to hit only seven homers in his last 202 games, including only one in 123 games last season, with a career-worst .245/.286/.296 slashline in 2023.

(Worth noting that Anderson’s 2022 season ended due to a torn finger tendon, and it’s possible that lingering effects from that injury caused him to start slow in 2023.)

The lowest point of Anderson’s season was an August 5th altercation with the Cleveland Guardians and third baseman José Ramírez, who dropped Anderson with a right hook after an altercation at second base.

Anderson (and the White Sox) both desiring a change in scenery for the mercurial star is a good thing for Miami, who has struggled to attract interest from major league free agents this offseason. After losing DH Jorge Soler in free agency, Miami made some trades on the fringes of the roster and minor league signings but was unable to sign a free agent to a major league deal until Anderson put pen to paper today.

Anderson is expected to serve as the primary shortstop for the Marlins, who was preparing to use a combination of utilityman Jon Berti and former prospects Xavier Edwards or Vidal Brujan in the role.