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Jeimer Candelario was released by the Cincinnati Reds before signing a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Los Angeles Angels finalized a buyout with third baseman Anthony Rendon shortly before the New Year, closing the book on one of the worst contracts this decade. The club added another recent high-profile bust on February 3, though they won’t be footing the bill this time. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Los Angeles has signed Jeimer Candelario to a one-year deal. It’s a minor league agreement that includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training.
Candelario signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Reds ahead of the 2024 season. Injuries and poor performance limited him to 112 games in his first campaign in Cincinnati. He hit .225 across 463 plate appearances. Candelario bottomed out in 2025, going 9-for-80 in 22 games before hitting the IL with a lumbar spine strain. He would never play another game with the team. The Reds released Candelario in June, ending his tenure halfway through the three-year commitment.
The Yankees took a flyer on Candelario in July, adding him on a minor league deal. He stumbled to a 78 wRC+ in 78 games at Triple-A Wilkes-Barre. Candelario was not promoted to the big-league club and ultimately elected minor league free agency at the conclusion of the season.
Jeimer Candelario to the Angels. Minors deal with MLB camp invite. $780K if in majors.
Los Angeles Angels Add Corner Infield Depth
Cincinnati is on the hook for Candelario’s $13 million salary this season. He was set to be the organization’s highest-paid player before the Eugenio Suarez signing. Los Angeles will only be required to pay Candelario the league minimum if he joins the active roster. That money will be subtracted from the Reds’ bill.
The Angels re-upped with Yoan Moncada last week. He’ll enter the spring as the favorite to hold down the third base job. Moncada popped 12 home runs in 84 games with L.A. last season. He slashed a respectable .234/.336/.448 in the middle of the Angels’ lineup. Nolan Schanuel will likely be the everyday first baseman. The 23-year-old delivered slightly above league-average production at the plate in his second season as a full-time player. Los Angeles has infielders Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom on the roster to pick up additional reps around the infield.
Candelario split his time with the Reds between first base and third base. He’s been a valuable defender for stretches of his career, but posted an ugly -9 Outs Above Average in 2024. As he proceeds into his 30s, it seems increasingly unlikely that he has the range to survive at third base for anything more than the occasional spot start. Moncada was even worse defensively than Candelario last season, so the club may not be prioritizing glove work at third base. Schanuel also posted subpar numbers in the field.
Candelario Looking for Bounceback Effort
The 32-year-old Candelario is just two seasons removed from the standout year that led to the ill-fated contract with Cincinnati. He hit a career-high 22 home runs in 2023, splitting the season between the Nationals and Cubs. Washington picked him up for a small commitment (one year, $5 million), and it paid off handsomely. Candelario hit .258 with 16 dingers and six steals over the first four months of the season. The Nats shipped him to Chicago at the trade deadline, netting prospects DJ Herz and Kevin Made.
Better health could be the key for Candelario as he attempts to make the Angels’ roster. The veteran missed time with a back strain to close the 2023 season. A broken toe cost him the final six weeks of the 2024 campaign. The aforementioned lumbar spine issue wrapped up his time with the Reds.
Candelario showed some uncharacteristic flaws in his brief stretch with the Reds in 2025. The switch-hitter’s hard-hit rate plummeted to 28.3%, easily a career-worst mark. He’s at 35.9% across his 10 big-league seasons. Candelario also struck out at an elevated 31.9% clip. Outside of a handful of games as a rookie in 2016, he’s typically been a league-average contact hitter. If Candelario can get back to making consistent contact and hitting the ball decently hard, he can push for a roster spot with the Angels.
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