Report: Nats agree to one-year deal with Jeimer Candelario originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
MLB free agency remains in its early stages with the winter meetings roughly a week away, and the Nationals appear to have added some veteran infield depth already.
Washington has agreed to a one-year contract with former Tigers third baseman Jeimer Candelario, first reported by the Detroit Free Press’ Evan Petzold.
Candelario, 29, was non-tendered by the Tigers on November 17, allowing him to enter free agency. He has experience playing first base and has spent time as a designated hitter.
2022 was a down year by Candelario’s standards. The veteran hit .217 in over 400 at-bats, and posted an underwhelming .633 OPS to go along with 13 home runs and 19 doubles. Just a year earlier, Candelario led the league in doubles with 42.
Signing Candelario gives the Nationals needed depth at the corner infield positions. Carter Kieboom and Ildemaro Vargas represent Washington’s primary options at third base at this point in the offseason, while Joey Meneses has first base more or less to himself after the team non-tendered Luke Voit.
The offseason is far from over, however, giving the team plenty of time to fill out their depth chart ahead of the 2023 season. The upcoming campaign is expected to be a rebuilding year for the Nationals, which should give a player like Candelario a chance to revive his value, as we’ve seen veterans like Kyle Schwarber and Josh Bell accomplish in recent years.
