Sports Commentary:
• Despite a rough start, Candelario is showing signs of improvement with the Reds, ranking fourth in RBI's and third in hits.
• His career experience and potential for improvement make him a valuable asset, even as the team faces challenges.
The Reds signed Jeimer Candelario in December of 2023. The thought was he would add some pop to the lineup and stability at third base. He still may ultimately do that. Thus far it’s been a rough go for the Reds third baseman. He has been baptized by fire, learning how it’s done in 513 baseball.
Candelario is not new to the game. He is a veteran. Candelario came into the majors way back in 2016 with the Chicago Cubs. The veteran third baseman had played with the Cubs, Tigers, Nationals, and now the Reds. Nobody on the Reds team, outside of Elle De La Cruz, is exactly tearing the cover off the ball. The team has one of the lowest batting averages in the entire major leagues. The Red third baseman currently has 4 home runs with 15 RBI’s and is hitting .211. The .211 is .31 percentage points under his career batting average of .241. The numbers are not exactly eye popping.
However, the Dominican has lately raised his game a level and is starting to be the productive product the Reds thought when they signed him to a 3-year, $45 million dollar deal.
Candelario’s most formidable years were spent in Detroit. For six seasons, the New York-born Candelario was one of the most productive Tigers. His best season came in 2018, when he hit 19 home runs, driving in 54 runs in 539 at bats.
Cincinnati has unfortunately sunk to fourth place in the five-team National League Central Division. A recent eight-game losing streak and series loss to the San Francisco Giants have the team shuffling for answers. Candelario is at present fourth on the team in RBI’s and third in hits.
Whether Candelario lasts the entire three seasons remains to be seen. Should the Reds fall out of contention around the All-Star break, Candelario could be used as trade bait. Only three times in his previous 10 MLB seasons has the Reds third baseman had 400 or more at bats in a season.
The veteran is more than capable of stepping up his game.
“Jeimer has proven over the course of his career he can catch fire,” said Reds manager David Bell. If that’s true then, there’s no time like the present for that heat to come.
Cincinnati is currently one game out of taking last place from the St. Louis Cardinals. Not an enviable place for a team with such high hopes just a month and a half earlier.