Last month, the Detroit Tigers made a couple of notable changes to their bullpen, as they try to continue their dominance in the first half of the regular season.
At the same time, countless former Tigers players were trying to find their footing in the majors or sign with a new team. One of the more significant roster moves that happened in baseball late last month involved an ex-Tigers infielder.
Former Detroit third baseman Jeimer Candelario, who was in the middle of a three-year, $45 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds, was shockingly designated for assignment on Jun. 23 after being activated from the 10-day IL.
Candelario missed several weeks this season due to a lumbar spine sprain. Before going on the IL, he was hitting a terrible .113 at the plate with two home runs and 10 RBI in 22 games.
The Reds released Candelario six days later as he went unclaimed through waivers, leaving the ex-Tigers infielder nowhere to go ahead of July. However, Candelario has surprisingly found a new opportunity with an AL club that is slumping but is considered a contender.
Ex-Tigers 3B Jeimer Candelario Joins New York Yankees
Conor Foley of YES Network reported on Saturday that Candelario signed a minor league deal with the New York Yankees.
The former Detroit infielder will report to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate (Scranton Wilkes-Barre) on Monday, despite receiving other offers, per Yancen Pujols. This could be the break that the ex-Tiger needs, as the Yankees are one of the teams rumored to be targeting a third baseman ahead of the trade deadline.
Just spoke with Jeimer Candelario. He confirmed his minor league deal with the Yankees. Will report Monday to AAA. Had more offers but chose the Yankees. “I can do the job if I get the opportunity”, he said.
— Yancen Pujols (@YancenPujols) July 5, 2025
What position does Candelario play? Third base. The veteran infielder wasn’t exactly great in his first season with the Reds, sporting a .225 batting average in 2024. However, Candelario hit 20 home runs and drove in 56 RBI across 112 games.
For Candelario to make it back to the majors, he’ll need to play like the guy we saw in the Motor City for six years. The veteran infielder slugged .243 with 65 home runs and 245 RBI with the Tigers.
Candelario’s best year in Detroit was in 2021, when he hit .271 with 16 home runs and 67 RBI and had an OPS of .795 in 149 games. He also racked up 42 doubles during that season, which led the American League.
The 31-year-old infielder had a brief stint in 2023 with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs after leaving Detroit. That said, Candelario is gifted with another opportunity to prove himself and hopefully return to the majors in the near future.