Jeimer Candelario, again within the Wrigley Field dwelling dugout for the primary time virtually precisely six years later, glanced down at his new first baseman’s mitt.
Well, probably not new however borrowed, a smiling Candelario famous. Written in script throughout the sunshine blue glove is Chicago Cubs teammate Miguel Amaya’s identify. Acquired Monday by the group, Candelario began at first base Tuesday evening in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds.
It’s a place supervisor David Ross mentioned the 29-year-old change hitter will play a “significant amount.” Except Candelario, who hasn’t performed first base since 2020 in Detroit, now not owns a primary baseman’s mitt. He purchased a pair after that season however then didn’t play the place the next yr and he gave them away.
So, for now, he’s borrowing Amaya’s, however it’s Candelario’s offense and the ability he provides to the Cubs that makes his addition particularly precious over the subsequent two months as they attempt to get again to the postseason.
“For me, it’s just having fun wherever I am,” Candelario mentioned. “… When I got the call that I was playing first base, I was a little surprised, but I’m in the position to help the team win. I want to bring energy and bring some positivity, anything I can do to help my team win. That’s what I’m here for.”
President Jed Hoyer needed to play either side of the buyer-seller divide within the two weeks main as much as Tuesday’s commerce deadline. The groundwork wanted to be laid because the Cubs waited so long as attainable to commit to at least one route. The Cubs’ comeback Wednesday in opposition to the White Sox, erasing a 7-2 deficit, and their victory Friday in St. Louis when Mike Tauchman’s theft of a would-be walk-off dwelling run to finish the sport had been two moments of an eight-game successful streak that pushed Hoyer and the group so as to add to the roster.
Hoyer and the entrance workplace in the end shifted totally into purchaser mode Sunday evening.
“You realize this group believes in each other and it’s definitely the right thing to do to keep them together and let them play the last two months,” Hoyer mentioned. “In a number of methods, they made it very easy the best way the workforce performed. When you have a look at the place we’re within the season, it’s been an odd path for certain, however for those who have a look at the best way we’ve performed since actually early June, we’ve performed nice baseball. It’s a cohesive group.
“We look at the underlying numbers, the team is even better than the record and fans are really responding to this group.”
To open a roster spot for Candelario, Trey Mancini was designated for project earlier than Tuesday’s sport. Mancini was within the first season of a two-year, $14 million contract, leaving the Cubs on the hook for $7 million in 2024 if he goes unclaimed on waivers as anticipated. Mancini, 31, hit .234 and had a .299 on-base proportion and 72 OPS+ in 79 video games. With Candelario slated to get a number of taking part in time at first base and Patrick Wisdom anticipated to get begins at first in opposition to left-handers, Hoyer cited the dearth of taking part in time out there for Mancini going ahead.
“It felt like the right time,” Hoyer mentioned. “He struggled with us. … He’s a great teammate and worked really hard and sometimes guys come in and play above expectations and in this case, that didn’t happen.”
The Cubs might have used a veteran bullpen arm or two to assist a again finish of the ’pen that options untested playoff pitchers, nonetheless, they couldn’t make a commerce work. There was a number of banter on offers however nothing near being accomplished Tuesday, Hoyer mentioned, including that Candelario was a precedence acquisition and who they went after essentially the most aggressively.
“We tried pretty hard and we were definitely in on a lot of different guys,” Hoyer mentioned.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com