What Jeimer Candelario deal means, and doesn't mean, for Cincinnati Reds roster, winter

NASHVILLE — Of all the wild and unexpected things involving the Cincinnati Reds in 2023, maybe none is more shocking than this one:

As the clock struck midnight at the end of the final day of baseball’s winter meetings at the Opryland Resort in Nashville, the Reds had outspent the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets — combined — on free agents so far this winter.

That was the first-blush result of landing switch-hitting infielder Jeimer Candelario late Wednesday night on a three-year, $45 million deal, adding to last week’s signings of pitchers Nick Martinez (two years, $26 million) and Emilio Pagán (two years, $16 million).

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Obviously, there’s a lot of free agent season and Shohei Ohtani spending to go, and the Reds won’t hold that standing for much longer, especially as their offseason focus shifts to the trade market and starting pitching.

But just as obviously, the Reds are starting to show how serious they are about buttressing all their young talent with seasoned players — and in Candelario’s case, maybe even how attractive this team on the upswing is becoming to players with a chance to go to Cincinnati.

For a lot of fans, that might not make up for all the selling off and rebuilding in recent years that led to the 100 loss 2022 season — or even the decision at last summer’s trade deadline to pass on paying the high prices for pitching and going without a much-needed starter.

But the Candelario deal in particular puts the Reds in a potential position of strength as they approach the rest of their offseason focused on landing a veteran starting pitcher.

Even a few hours before Candelario agreed to terms, team president Nick Krall said, “Being able to add two players already allows us to be more patient and selective.”

Neither Krall nor Candelario’s agency would comment on the details of a deal that awaits a physical early next week before becoming final.

But according to conversations with several sources, the Reds showed heaviest interest among Candelario’s suitors, including two meetings between the parties during last month’s general managers meetings alone.

One of the teams showing interest was the New York Yankees, who landed lefty-hitting slugger Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster trade Wednesday — a deal that cooled their need for Candelario and ignited the process of finalizing a Reds deal.

One source said Candelario expressed a desire to play for a young team he viewed as a legitimate contender, something he didn’t have in his career until the Washington Nationals traded him to the Cubs four months ago.

He brings a reputation as a strong and positive influence on younger players, and more than one former Red who spent time around him in recent seasons called Reds officials to praise the signing.

The deal pays Candelario, 30, $15 million (which includes a signing bonus) in 2024, $15 million in 2025, $12 million in 2026 and includes a 2027 club option for $18 million (with $3 million buyout).

Candelario was traded as a rookie in 2017 by the Cubs in a deadline deal to the Tigers after being stuck behind an infield core that included MVP Kris Bryant at his natural third base.

He led the American League in doubles with 42 in 2021 — the kind of gap power that might translate in Great American Ball Park to a home run total higher than this year’s 22 career high.

The Reds expect him to see time at third, first and second base, providing frontline depth and leadership for a talented but extremely young infield that isn't viewed internally as nearly as deep as many fans and some outside baseball seem to think it is.

Candelario and Jonathan India are the only members of the projected infield mix with even one year in the majors.

And depth at Triple-A Louisville is still being assembled through minor-league signings to fill a position area that was essentially non-existent at the top minor-league level in the system before the offseason began.

Among other things, here's what Candelario's deal does — and doesn’t — mean for this team’s roster and the rest of the Reds’ offseason.

• Spencer Steer, the team's MVP and infielder by trade, moves full-time to the outfield, where he'll play left and right.

• Jonathan India's trade status does NOT change, no more likely to get traded than before the Candelario deal as far as the team is concerned, according to insiders.

• The Reds have significantly improved their strength from the the left side of the plate but also at third base, where they looked very thin after rookie Noelvi Marte and rotational option Elly De La Cruz. Marte, for example, just suffered a six-to-eight-week hamstring injury in winter ball. That doesn't affect his status for spring training, but had the injury occurred in, say, August, without the added depth it could have been devastating.

• The Reds now turn their focus almost exclusively to starting pitching and the trade market, with time to work as some of the bigger names available this winter sort out their futures in the next week or month. They're in on Tampa Bay's Tyler Glasnow and Cleveland's Shane Bieber and have had talks on the more coveted, much more expensive Dylan Cease of the White Sox.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Jeimer Candelario deal impacts Jonathan India, Cincinnati Reds