White Sox sign Tim Anderson to contract extension

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has not played in the past few spring games because of "personal reasons."

Turns out he and his agent were busy negotiating a long-term contract with the Sox. I guess that would be a "personal reason," huh?

Anderson on Tuesday agreed to terms on an extension that guarantees him $25 million over the next six years, and could pay him $50.5 million. The deal includes two club options for 2023 and 2024 that total $26.5 million with a $1 million buyout. The two club options cover Anderson's first two years of free agency eligibility.

This is the largest contract ever handed out to a player with less than one year of MLB service time, which demonstrates how much confidence the Sox have in Anderson and how integral he is to their rebuilding plans.

Anderson hit .283/.306/.432 with nine home runs, 30 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 431 plate appearances as a rookie in 2016. He also answered some questions about his defense, producing six Defensive Runs Saved and a 6.3 Ultimate Zone Rating, according to fangraphs.com.

Here is the breakdown of Anderson's salary:

2017: $850,000

2018: $1,000,000

2019: $1,400,000

2020: $4,000,000

2021: $7,250,000

2022: $9,500,000

*If the two club options are activated:

2023: $12,500,000

2024: $14,000,000