The Cincinnati Reds reinstated infielder Jeimer Candelario from the injured list Monday and designated him for assignment.
The move comes just a year after Cincinnati signed the veteran infielder to a three-year, $45 million contract. He was the Reds' highest-priced signing of the past six seasons.
"We felt this gives us our best chance to win games to keep the guys we had here versus activating him," Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said Monday, according to The Athletic.
Krall called it a "sunk cost because you can't bring a player that's not going to help his team win."
Candelario is owed nearly $23 million, including $7,983,871 for the remainder of this season, $12 million for next season and a $3 million buyout for 2027.
"It was hard to get a hold of him. And [Krall] finally talked to him and said it was, as you can imagine, [difficult]," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "I have tried to reach out to him, and he understandably, it was just going to voicemail, and I get it. But again, I will say, it's tough. I know that's not an easy decision, but we think it can help make us better."
Candelario, 31, had started 12 games at third base, seven at first base and three at designated hitter before landing on the 10-day injured list in late April because of a lower back injury. He had struggled at the plate before his injury, hitting just .113 with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games. In an extended 17-game rehabilitation assignment at two minor league levels, he hit .238 with a home run and 13 RBIs.
The 10-year major league veteran hit 20 home runs with 56 RBIs in 2024, his first season with the Reds, but hit just .234 and struck out 117 times in 112 games.
He has a career batting average of .237 with 110 home runs and 384 RBIs in 880 games.
The Reds are moving forward with Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer as their main corner infielders.
Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
