Jeimer Candelario landing spots: 3 potential destinations for third baseman after being DFA'd by Reds

Having been out with injury since late April, infielder Jeimer Candelario was taken off the IL by the Cincinnati Reds to be designated for assignment.

In the games he did play before picking up a lumbar spine strain, Candelario failed to impress, batting .113, with only two home runs and 10 RBIs in a total of eighty at-bats.

The Reds' decision to DFA Jeimer Candelario was confirmed on Monday.

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The Reds have reportedly decided to move forward with Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte as their infielders of choice, leaving no room for Candelario.

With his time at the Great American Ball Park now at an end, the 31-year-old is free to join any organization that wishes to acquire him. Let's take a look at three such franchises that could do with Candelario's services in the infield.

3 potential landing spots for Jeimer Candelario

#3 - Chicago Cubs

Though they do need more depth at third, the Cubs are reportedly looking for more production than Matt Shaw has managed so far, and Candelario would not fit that bill for obvious reasons. However, this deal does have an outside chance of materializing if the Cubs eventually decide it is worthwhile to reinforce the infield with an experienced but also relatively inexpensive option.

#2 - Boston Red Sox

With starting first and third basemen Triston Casas and Alex Bregman on the IL, the Red Sox could do with a player who is adept at playing both positions, and Jeimer Candelario fits that bill. Candelario, however, will need to work hard on his hitting if he does in fact make the move to Fenway Park.

#1 - Chicago White Sox

With 28-year-old Vinny Capra producing even less at the plate than Jeimer Candelario has managed so far, there is not much risk in taking a punt on the veteran from a White Sox perspective.

They are nowhere close to challenging for a playoff spot this year and have the luxury of trying to help Candelario get back to his best in a relatively low-pressure environment, as compared to the other teams on this list.

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.