The future of baseball in the Motor City is bright as June comes to a close. The Detroit Tigers are currently tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for an MLB-leading 53-32 record, setting A.J. Hinch's club as one of the biggest World Series threats before next month's All-Star festivities (+850, T-3rd on FanDuel Sportsbook).
The Tigers are off to begin the new week, though, allowing fans to perform an end-of-the-month check-in on some of the club's former players. Interestingly enough, one ex-Detroit infielder just found out he's going to enter July in the unemployment line.
Former Tigers 3B/DH Jeimer Candelario Waived by Reds to End June
A week after being designated for assignment, former Tigers slugger Jeimer Candelario has been released by the Cincinnati Reds, per the Cincinnati Enquirer's Gordon Wittenmyer. The 31-year-old veteran cleared waivers after being DFA'd on June 23, officially making him a free agent.
It's been a pitiful season for Candelario, who's struggled to hit the ball more often than not. The New York City native is only slashing .113/.198/.213 through his first 22 games (80 at-bats), picking up two home runs and 10 RBIs with a putrid 31.9% strikeout rate — his worst performance since his rookie campaign.
It's going to be interesting to see how quickly another team is willing to roll the dice on Candelario. Tigers fans will remember his arrival during the 2017 season, when he was traded alongside Isaac Paredes to Detroit by the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson.
Candelario went on to make 590 appearances across parts of six seasons with the Tigers. He amassed 65 HRs, 245 RBIs, and 234 walks while slashing .243/.324/.404 during that stretch, with his best performance coming when he led the Majors with 42 doubles in 2021. He left town the following winter to sign with the Washington Nationals before being traded back to the Cubs at the 2023 deadline.
Candelario became a free agent again in December 2023, this time signing a three-year, $45 million contract with the Reds. Obviously, he didn't come close to living up to his price tag, highlighting just how poorly some MLB free agent signings can age in an instant.
In the meantime, time will tell where Candelario's career will take him next. While the Tigers wouldn't mind upgrading their 3B position, a reunion with their former slugger isn't the answer as long as he's playing at his current level.
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