Jeimer Candelario Free Agency Update: Reds reportedly sign infielder, physical pending

Free agent infielder Jeimer Candelario has reportedly signed with the Cincinnati Reds with a physical pending, according to MLB Insider Mark Feinsand.

As per Reds reporter Gordon Wittenmyer, Candelario and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a three-year, $45 million guaranteed contract with a club option that can take it to a four-year, $60 million contract.

The deal doesn't come as a surprise since the Reds were strongly rumored to acquire the switch hitter. However, given the Reds rebuilding and young roster, his placement seems odd at first glance.

It seems that the Reds see a lot of upside in this deal, even though their roster is infield-heavy. Prospects Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte and Christian Encarnacion-Strand all made their Major League Baseball debuts this season, with McLain emerging as a strong Rookie of the Year candidate and the others performing admirably in smaller samples.

With that mix in mind, it may be hard for the Reds to decide between Noelvi Marte and Candelario to play third base. However, there could be other takes regarding this signing.

Given the limited infield supply this offseason, the Reds could trade Jeimer Candelario for pitching help. It remains to be seen how the Reds address their pitching needs this offseason and trade some of their acquired players to get there.

Jeimer Candelario's 2023 season

The 30-year-old is coming off one of his finest seasons, slashing .251/.336/.471 batting line with an OPS of .807. He compiled 127 hits, 22 home runs, 70 RBIs and 77 runs scored in 140 games.

That output came in a season split between the Washington Nationals, who signed him to a one-year $5 million deal after the Detroit Tigers passed on him last winter, and the Chicago Cubs – who signed Candelario – moved him to Detroit in 2017 and reacquired him this summer.

Jeimer Candelario was a highly touted prospect while in Detroit and Chicago. He had a strong rookie season in 2017 (.283/.359/.425 in 38 games), but he struggled to match that output in 2018 and saw his offense plummet in 2019.

However, he bounced back in the following two seasons with the Detroit Tigers. However, the organization released him after a down year in 2022 which saw him slashing .217/.272/.361 slash in 467 plate appearances.