Candelario 'leading by example' while muting Deadline noise

NEW YORK -- Jeimer Candelario slid into second base on a first-inning double steal Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, the day after hustling from first base to home in the ninth inning of a game in which the Nationals had a four-run lead over the Mets.

There is uncertainty as to what Candelario’s baseball future will look like after Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, but the veteran third baseman has shown he is going to give his one hundred percent regardless of what happens.

“I’m not thinking about that right now,” Candelario said following the Nationals’ 5-2 loss to the Mets. “I know there’s a lot of news. Right now, I want to live day by day. That keeps me calm, and that keeps me in the game the right way. For me, it’s just waking up to my bed and thinking how you can help your team win a ballgame. For me that’s more important, and everything is going to take care of itself.”

Candelario, 29, is a top trade candidate this season. He is having a standout year while on an expiring $5 million contract he signed with the Nationals in November.

The Nats are expected to be sellers at the Trade Deadline, as they have been the past two seasons. The team has swapped veterans in the final year of their deals for prospects and young talent in several moves since 2021, including the acquisitions of current players Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Mason Thompson and Riley Adams.

“Everyone on expiring contracts, those decisions are fairly easy,” general manager Mike Rizzo said on July 18. Rizzo said the Nats had "about eight teams that are calling on" Candelario on MLB Network Radio on Sunday, adding that "once we get a player that piques our interest," the Nats will act quickly.

The switch-hitting Candelario has bolstered his production in his eighth Major League season following a down year with the Tigers. He was non-tendered by Detroit on Nov. 18, and Washington signed him just 11 days later. Manager Dave Martinez had previously worked with a young Candelario on the Cubs and believed in the potential for this kind of turnaround performance:

? 2022 (124 games with the Tigers): .217/.272/.361, .633 OPS, 19 doubles, 13 home runs, 0 stolen bases
? 2023 (through 99 games with the Nationals): .258/.342/.481, .823 OPS, 30 doubles, 16 home runs, six stolen bases

These numbers resonate throughout the league, too. Entering Sunday, Candelario led NL third basemen in wins above replacement (per FanGraphs) and doubles, was tied for first in extra-base hits, ranked third in wOBA and wRC+ and fourth in slugging percentage and OPS. Among all NL players, he is third in doubles and tied for sixth in extra-base hits.

Defensively, Candelario is tied for fourth in outs above average among NL third basemen.

“He plays the game the right way, he plays hard,” said Martinez. “I’ve known him since he was a kid, and what I’ve known about him is that he’s a competitor. He wants to win and he wants to help his team win. He’s going to go out and do everything he can to do that.”

There are more than just statistics to a player’s value to a team. It didn’t take long for Candelario to establish his positive presence on a Nationals squad with developing players. He often is seen engaging with his teammates and heard announcing, “Happy flight!” before a series finale to encourage a win.

“From the first day of Spring Training, he’s always been a leader,” said Adams. “He’s always a very big vocal guy in this clubhouse.”

Abrams, 22, has been soaking up knowledge from playing alongside Candelario in the infield.

“That’s my guy. He’s out there having fun, playing hard, trying to get a ‘W’ just like everybody else,” Abrams said. “Pay attention to detail, that’s one of the things he’s been on me about. Stay focused in the work before and after the game.”

And when Candelario steps on the field, he lets his own play do the talking.

“It’s always giving my hundred percent in the field, giving everything I have in the field, just leading by example,” said Candelario. “I want to be able to be aggressive, I want to be able to make the plays, I want to be able to run the bases the right way, take good ABs. For me that’s really important, because I want to be an all-around player.”