Black colour

Yankees Take a Chance on Jeimer Candelario After Reds Cut Ties

The New York Yankees have added some experienced infield depth by signing former Reds third baseman Jeimer Candelario to a minor league contract. According to YES Network’s Conor Foley, Candelario will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Candelario’s time in Cincinnati came to an abrupt end earlier this month after a rough start to the season. Limited by injuries, the 31-year-old appeared in just 22 games and managed only a .113 batting average with two home runs across 80 at-bats. It marked a steep decline in production for a player in the second year of a three-year, $45 million deal he signed before the 2024 campaign.

The Reds released him despite the financial hit, clearly ready to move on from what became a bad investment. His recent stint with Triple-A Louisville during a rehab assignment didn’t do much to inspire confidence either — he batted .211 with a .318 on-base percentage over 15 games while recovering from a lumbar spine strain.

Even so, Candelario brings major league experience with 880 games under his belt and hit 20 home runs just last season. Now, he’ll try to reset his season with the Yankees organization, hoping to work his way back into big league action and potentially earn a spot as infield depth later in the year.

Yankees Continue Stockpiling Infield Options in Triple-A

Candelario is the second veteran infielder signed by New York in recent days. Earlier this week, 30-year-old Nicky Lopez also joined the organization on a minor league deal and reported to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

These additions suggest the Yankees may be looking internally for solutions at third base instead of pursuing a trade. Ideally, they’d like to solidify the hot corner, which could allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to shift back to second base and push the struggling DJ LeMahieu into a reduced role.

For now, New York seems committed to gathering veteran depth at Triple-A and evaluating options in-house as they push through the second half of the season.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Bal Leagues