Reds designate INF Jeimer Candelario for assignment

The Cincinnati Reds designated infielder Jeimer Candelario for assignment on Monday, just halfway through a three-year, $45 million contract he signed before the 2024 season.

Candelario, 31, had been on the injured list since late April due to a lumbar spine strain. The Reds reinstated him from the IL on Monday in order to DFA the veteran first and third baseman.

"At the end of the day, you have to look at it as a sunk cost because you can't bring a player that's not going to help his team win," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall told The Athletic.

Candelario played in 22 games, with 12 starts at third base and seven starts at first, before going on the IL. He batted an abysmal .113 (9-for-80) with two home runs and 10 RBIs.

In his first season in Cincinnati, he made 112 appearances and batted .225 with 20 homers, 23 doubles and 56 RBIs.

Following stints with the Chicago Cubs (2016-17) and Detroit Tigers (2017-22), Candelario had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023, split between the Washington Nationals and Cubs. He batted .251 with career highs of 22 homers and 70 RBIs, prompting the Reds to pursue him in free agency.

The Reds are moving forward with Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer as their main corner infielders.