Angels' 11-Year MLB Veteran Elects Free Agency

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Jeimer Candelario (46) catches a fly ball in foul territory hit by Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (2) during the first inning at Wrigley Field on April 1. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Angels' 11-Year MLB Veteran Elects Free Agency

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Oct 8, 2026 6:01 PM ET

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Jeimer Candelario wasn't an Angel for long, and he wasn't a very productive one during the 17 days he spent on the team's 40-man roster.

Candelario appeared in only seven games for the Angels in 2026, his 11th MLB season. He collected two hits, both doubles, and struck out eight times in 18 at-bats. The Angels designated him for assignment on April 11, and outrighted him to Triple-A Salt Lake two days later.

Candelario accepted the assignment and spent the remainder of the season with the Angels' top minor league affiliate. He played 88 games between multiple trips to the injured list, and slashed .281/.377/.509 with 15 home runs, 19 doubles, and 56 RBIs. He also struck out 113 times in just 334 at-bats.

Wednesday, Candelario elected free agency, immediately putting himself in the 2026-27 minor league free-agent pool and likely ending his time in the Angels organization.

Candelario turns 33 in November, an age when a hitter's bat speed tends to fall off a cliff. The 2026 season could have been a launching-pad year for a hitter who led the American League in doubles in 2021. Instead, Candelario played in fewer MLB games than any season since he appeared in five games as a rookie with the Chicago Cubs in 2016.

Swing Speed Aging Curves

Data limited to batter played in each of last 4 seasons

Green row, from age
-31 to 32 batters lost 0.5 mph
-32 to 33 lost 0.2
-33 to 34 lost 0.5

Purple column: age 34 to 35 for those who played from
-32-35 lost 0.2
-33-36 lost 0.5
-34-37 lost 0.5

1/2 pic.twitter.com/kyPZYrXdtf
— Tangotiger (@tangotiger) September 23, 2026

Candelario didn't appear in a postseason game for that team, which ended the Cubs' historic 108-year championship drought. In fact, with 887 career games in the regular season and no postseason at-bats, Candelario is close to the active leader (Bryan Reynolds) in that unfortunate category.

Candelario has a career .236/.315/.410 slash line with the Cubs (2016-17, 2023), Detroit Tigers (2017-22), Washington Nationals (2023), Cincinnati Reds (2024-25) and Angels.

The Angels were only on the hook for paying Candelario the minimum major league salary during his brief time on their roster. That's because he still had one guaranteed year left on his three-year, $45 million contract signed with the Reds in December 2023.

That might be the last major-league contract Candelario signs, but he isn't going down without a fight. A series of recent Instagram posts by the Fortuna Academy shows Candelario mentoring youngsters and working out in the Dominican Republic.

The Angels had little to lose by taking a flier on the veteran hoping for a bounceback season, even if it didn't work out. Their Triple-A roster has been dominated by similar players over the last decade.

But if they are able to renew their focus on homegrown player development under new leadership in 2027, there will be fewer at-bats in the majors and in Triple-A for players like Candelario next year.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Angels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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