By Ken Rosenthal, Patrick Mooney, Sahadev Sharma, Brittany Ghiroli and Dan Barbarisi
The Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Jeimer Candelario and cash considerations from the Washington Nationals in exchange for minor league left-handed pitcher DJ Herz and minor league infielder Kevin Made. Here’s what you need to know:
- Candelario, a switch hitter, is slashing .258/.342/.481 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs through 368 at-bats.
- The 29-year-old is still due a little less than half of the $5 million he’s making this season.
- Candelario made his major-league debut with the Cubs in July 2016. That season, he appeared in five games for Chicago.
- The Cubs traded Candelario to Detroit in July 2017, and he played six seasons with the Tigers before landing in Washington on a one-year deal signed in November 2022.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
How Candelario fits
It was barely 10 days ago that the Cubs looked like deadline sellers. An eight-game winning streak coupled with them getting back in both the division and wild-card races changed the tenor around the team. How aggressive they’d be was the big question. Team president Jed Hoyer seemed to answer that question by going out and acquiring arguably the best available bat on the market in Candelario.
Depending on the matchup, the Cubs have opportunities for playing time at third base, first base and DH. The versatile, switch-hitting Candelario gives manager David Ross more options to be creative with his lineups and really provides more depth to a group that’s posted a 111 wRC+ in July, fifth in the National League. — Sharma
What’s next for the Cubs?
For weeks, Hoyer has been adamant that he believed in the underlying numbers that said his team was better than their record. Of course, all that mattered was wins, so relying on those numbers wasn’t going to be enough. The team finally started backing up Hoyer’s words with its on-field play, and in return, Hoyer is supporting the group by giving this team more of what it needs. But Hoyer can’t be done.
The team still needs help in the bullpen, particularly from the left side. The fact that the Cubs are able to make moves like this and likely others without really losing their top prospects shows the depth they’ve created in the farm system. It’s times like this that a strong, deep system should really shine.
By getting back in the race, rewarding a group that’s finally performing and a fan base that’s suffered through multiple years of selling feels deserved and Hoyer is doing exactly that. — Sharma
The ex-Cub factor
Kyle Hendricks will no longer be the only active Cubs player from the 2016 World Series team. Candelario received that championship ring – one of the most coveted in professional sports amid the franchise’s 108-year drought – after making his major-league debut in the middle of that epic season. Candelario appeared in five games that July and went back to Triple-A Iowa to continue his development.
Blocked by Kris Bryant at third base, Candelario received only 36 plate appearances with the Cubs in 2017, when the club packaged him and Isaac Paredes in a trade-deadline deal for Alex Avila and Justin Wilson. Candelario is finally coming back to Wrigley Field as the switch-hitter and the smooth defender that the Cubs once envisioned. — Mooney
GO DEEPER
MLB Trade Grades: Surging Cubs land Jeimer Candelario from Nationals to deepen lineup
Why the Nationals made this deal
Under general manager Mike Rizzo the Nationals have made some excellent trades and this one, on the surface, looks like another solid move. For a rental on a non-contending team, they were able to add two of the Cubs’ top 20 prospects, driving up the price as eight teams were whittled down to two on Monday night: the Miami Marlins and the Cubs. The Yankees, despite persistent rumors, were never serious suitors.
Up next: the Nationals may trade reliever Kyle Finnegan and, more of a longshot, outfielder Lane Thomas who is under team control for two more seasons. — Ghiroli
Candelario’s scouting report
Candelario was one of baseball’s most dynamic bats in 2021, leading the league in doubles and providing good-enough defense at third base for the Tigers. He cratered in 2022, leading Detroit to cut ties and sending Candelario to Washington on a one-year deal with both sides hoping for a bounceback. The switch-hitter has certainly done that, leading the Nats in WAR providing one of the few bright spots in a dismal lineup. — Barbarisi
Required reading
(Photo: John Jones / USA Today)