Washington Nationals Sign INF Jeimer Candelario
By Nick Meyers
The Washington Nationals have finally joined the offseason action, to a degree at least, as they have signed former Detroit Tigers Third Baseman Jeimer Candelario to a one year deal, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. The financials of the agreement are not yet known, but Candelario was on a one year, 5.6 MM deal with Detroit last season.
UPDATE: Candelario’s deal with Washington is for One Year, $5 MM with a $1 Incentive.
Candelario’s best season came in 2021, when he hit 42 Doubles and slashed .271/.351/.443 with 16 Home Runs and 67 RBIs. He also provides some versatility to the Nats’ lineup, as he is a switch hitter and can play either Third Base or First Base, although he has not played First Base since 2020.
He won’t wow you with power, as his career high in Home Runs is only 19, which came back in the 2018 campaign, but the Nationals do get a versatile player at positions of need. It would not surprise me if he is this team’s starting Third Baseman on opening day. Candelario had a disappointing 2022 season, but if he can hit close to what he did over 2020/21, when he hit .278 over 742 plate appearances with an OPS over .800, he will be a welcome addition to a Nationals’ lineup that desperately needs some life.
Story will be updated as more details emerge.