You could forgive Jeimer Candelario if he’s no longer enjoying his visits to Cincinnati as an MLB player.
Candelario, previously an every day corner infielder for the Cincinnati Reds who landed with the Los Angeles Angels this past offseason, was designated for assignment by the Angels during their three-game set at Great American Ball Park.
Candelario signed a minor league contract with the Angels with an invitation to spring training in the offseason, and he made the club’s Opening Day roster. Unfortunately for him, his stay with the Angels lasted less than a month into the 2026 MLB season.
Candelario was also “DFA’d” by the Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 23, 2025, which was an expensive but necessary subtraction from the Cincinnati roster at the time.
Prior to the April 10 series opener between the Reds and Angels, Candelario was out on the field during Reds batting practice. He greeted former teammates and coaches around the batting cage.
The corresponding roster move by the Angels was to reinstate infielder Vaughn Grissom from the injured list. Candelario was hitting .111 for Los Angeles, mostly off the bench.
Candelario came to Cincinnati ahead of the 2024 season in what was thought at the time to be a sizable offseason move by the Reds. The deal was for three years and $45 million, but Candelario’s time was cut short by his lack of productivity of two different managerial regimes.
For David Bell’s final season at the helm of the Reds, Candelario hit just .225 in 112 games. Come 2025 and with Terry Francona in charge, he appeared in just 22 games. While Candelario enjoyed an encouraging Opening Day outing against the San Francisco Giants on March 27, 2025, with a multi-hit, three RBI performance, he ended up hitting just .113 before the Reds released him.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Jeimer Candelario released in Cincinnati again, this time by LA Angels
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
