White Sox bring back Andrus on 1-year, $3M deal to play 2B

Elvis Andrus is returning to the South Side.

The veteran infielder and the Chicago White Sox have agreed to a one-year, $3-million contract, the team announced Monday.

Andrus is expected to play second base for the White Sox, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. When he does line up at the keystone, it will be the 34-year-old's first time playing a position other than shortstop in the majors. His only experience playing second as a professional came in 2005 when he made one appearance there as a 16-year-old prospect in the Gulf Coast League.

White Sox second basemen ranked 29th out of 30 teams in total production last season. Before Andrus' signing, Romy Gonzalez and Leury Garcia appeared to be the two likeliest options to win the Opening Day second-base job. Veteran Hanser Alberto, who has experience at the position, is also in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Andrus originally joined the White Sox last August after being released by the Oakland Athletics. He experienced a resurgence at the plate after joining the team, hitting nine home runs and posting a .773 OPS in 43 games down the stretch while filling in at shortstop for an injured Tim Anderson. Including his time in Oakland, Andrus hit .249/.303/.404 in 2022, and his 17 homers marked his highest total in five years.

The native of Maracay, Venezuela, is a lifetime .270/.326/.371 hitter with 96 home runs, 731 RBIs, and 335 stolen bases across 15 big-league campaigns. A former two-time All-Star with the Texas Rangers, Andrus enters the 2023 season just three hits shy of 2,000 for his career.