GLENDALE, Ariz. — Shortstop Tim Anderson was out of the lineup for a third consecutive day when the White Sox hosted the Giants on Monday at Camelback Ranch.
By the afternoon, it became apparent why that was the case.
Manager Rick Renteria and Anderson said Anderson was out for personal reasons. But a source confirmed an MLB.com report that the Sox and Anderson, 23, are discussing a long-term contract extension. A Sox spokesman wouldn’t confirm or deny the report.
‘‘It’s just a personal problem,’’ Anderson said when he was asked why he was sitting out. ‘‘We’re going to try and take care of it before I get back into things.’’
‘‘He’s fine,’’ Renteria said, adding he hoped to have Anderson back in the lineup Tuesday.
Anderson is batting .333 with a home run and two doubles this spring after posting a .283/.306/.432 slash line with nine homers and 30 RBI as a rookie last season.
The Sox signed left-handers Chris Sale and Jose Quintana and outfielder Adam Eaton to multiyear extensions before they became eligible for free agency, but an extension for Anderson would come earlier in his career. Anderson wouldn’t be eligible
for arbitration until before the 2020 season or for free agency until 2023.
Sale signed a five-year, $32.5 million extension with two option seasons during spring training in 2013. He was three years into his career.
The next spring, the Sox signed Quintana to a five-year, $21 million extension with two option seasons. He had two years under his belt.
Eaton signed five-year, $23.5 million extension with two option seasons during spring training in 2015.
The affordable extensions heightened Sale’s and Eaton’s trade value in December, and it’s doing the same for Quintana, who might be dealt as the Sox rebuild for the future.
The Sox consider Anderson and 24-year-old left-hander Carlos Rodon, who is represented by Scott Boras, as two key components in their future.
Bo knows change
Former two-sport superstar Bo Jackson, a community-relations ambassador for the Sox, has noticed a different atmosphere while visiting camp.
‘‘I’ve noticed a big change,’’ said Jackson, who played for the Sox in 1991 and 1993. ‘‘I’m not saying that the past people that were here didn’t do a good job because they did. But this spring, players have a little more hop in their step. They are smiling more and talking more and having a good time. That’s always a positive.’’
Perhaps it’s the influx of new prospects around camp. Renteria’s upbeat manner and energy have been infectious, and he has been proactive about getting players — veterans and youngsters alike — to blend.
‘‘It’s almost like you get tired of doing the same old thing every year,’’ Jackson said. ‘‘They are trying to do something different, and they are having fun doing it different.
‘‘There’s a whole lot more conversation that’s going on around here.’’
Follow me on Twitter @CST_soxvan.
Email: dvanschouwen@suntimes.com
