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Williams' inbox: Why Jeimer Candelario is different than Mike Moustakas for Cincinnati Reds

jason williams, cincinnati enquirer
·4 min read
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Cincinnati Reds third baseman Mike Moustakas (9) reacts after flying out in the seventh inning during a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Friday, June 17, 2022, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Reds third baseman Mike Moustakas (9) reacts after flying out in the seventh inning during a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Friday, June 17, 2022, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

Email and ask me anything − sports or non-sports − and/or let me know if you agree or disagree with a column. I'll pick some of your messages and respond right here each week on Cincinnati.com. Send emails to jwilliams@enquirer.com.

Subject: Is Jeimer Candelario a Mike Moustakas redux for Cincinnati Reds?

Message: “It smacks of signing Mike Moustakas for four years, $64 million in 2019 and then paying the bum $22 million to play for someone else this year. I know it’s a business, but I can’t help but feel like Spencer Steer should be chanting ‘elevator, elevator, I got the shaft!’ He outperformed Candelario in every offensive category and playing pretty good defense everywhere he was asked to play. Where’s his reward for that? I’ll hope for the best, but expect it’s going to be another blunder in player decisions.”

Reply: I can see where you’re coming from when just looking at their similar meh career numbers, meh defensive skills and not-so-meh contracts.

It’s important to look deeper, though. Candelario is a great teammate and clubhouse leader. He’s helped the Latin and American players break down the language barriers and brought everyone together in every clubhouse he’s been in.

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The Reds place a high premium on having good guys in the clubhouse, and it’s especially important for a young, developing team. Imagine how much Candelario, 30, is going to help Elly De La Cruz continue to adjust to the big leagues. The Reds had to have another veteran presence to replace Joey Votto with all these young players.

And it shouldn't be discounted that Candelario wants to be in Cincinnati after receiving interest from the Yankees, Angels, White Sox, Nationals and Blue Jays.

Moustakas, meanwhile, was a malcontent and me-first guy.

The Reds also don’t have as much invested in Candelario, who signed a three-year, $45 million deal. Yes, that’s still a big contract for today’s Reds, but they needed a veteran infielder and Candelario was in their price range.

Candelario is a switch-hitter (Moustakas isn't), a nice fit for a club that values versatility. All indications are Candelario is still trending upward in his career (Moustakas wasn't at the time he came to the Reds). The Reds have liked what they’ve seen from Candelario hitting at Great American Ball Park, where he has 10 hits in 12 career games. It’s a small sample size, but seven of those hits have been for extra bases (four homers, two doubles, triple).

And for what it’s worth, Candelario is a year younger than Moustakas was when he signed with the Reds.

Meanwhile, Steer didn’t get hosed. He actually gets an everyday spot in left field next season after moving all over the place in 2023. Steer will still move around some, but he'll generally know where he's going to be regularly.

Spencer Steer didn't lose a job with the signing of Jeimer Candelario. Instead, Steer will be able to concentrate on left field, and not try to prepare for multiple positions every day.
Spencer Steer didn't lose a job with the signing of Jeimer Candelario. Instead, Steer will be able to concentrate on left field, and not try to prepare for multiple positions every day.

Subject: Thom Brennaman has been punished enough

Message: “Thanks for your article on Thom Brennaman. He’s been in the penalty box long enough. Thom’s talented, a good community steward and a wealth of sports knowledge. I hope your article shakes something loose for him.”

Reply: In some cases, part of a columnist’s job is to make judgment calls. I wouldn’t write that Brennaman deserves a second chance if I didn’t strongly believe he's been sincere in his apology and a changed man. Cancel culture must be balanced out by grace and forgiveness. That’s not to say every public figure deserves a second chance in his or her career after using hateful language, because some folks only act like they’re sorry in public but haven’t truly changed.

Brennaman is a better man for going through this, and his experience could be used in a positive way to educate others on a large platform if some team, university or network would just give him a dang chance.

Let me be clear: I do not think his second chance should be with the Reds. Fans already didn’t like Brennaman’s style, and it’d be a PR nightmare for both sides. It’d be more ideal for Brennaman to, say, return to calling NFL games on Fox and do a college's play-by-play on radio or ESPN+ broadcasts.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Please keep the emails coming. This inbox column has been fun and well received by you. I have a new weekly feature planned for the new year that I think you'll enjoy. Thank you for your continued to support. Have a wonderful Christmas and happy holidays.

Contact Enquirer columnist Jason Williams by email at jwilliams@enquirer.com.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Jeimer Candelario is different than Mike Moustakas for Cincinnati Reds