White Sox to sign shortstop Elvin Andrus

Elvis Andrus was there for the taking and the White Sox were there with a need.

The veteran former All-Star shortstop, released by the cost-cutting Oakland Athletics Wednesday, cleared waivers and is expected to sign with the Sox and join the team when it opens an important three-game series in Cleveland Friday.

All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson is out for another five weeks with a finger injury, Danny Mendick is out for the season with a knee injury and Leury Garcia is on the injured list with a back strain, depleting the Sox shortstop depth and forcing them to play rookie call-ups Lenyn Sosa and Romy Gonzalez at shortstop in recent days.

Andrus, who turns 34 next week, isn’t the fielder he was during his All-Star years with the Rangers, and he is batting .237/.301/.378, but is a definite upgrade at a key position going into the stretch run of the season.

Andrus is in the final season of an eight-year, $120 million contract signed with Texas, but the Sox will owe him the prorated league minimum for the remainder of the season, with the A’s responsible for the remainder of his $14 million salary.

Andrus is a career .270/.326/.369 hitter with 87 homers and .695 OPS over 14, his first 12 in Texas. He was a teammate of Sox second baseman Josh Harrison last season.

The signing is expected to be announced Friday. Triple-A lefty Yoan Aybar was outrighted, creating room on the 40-man roster.

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