Jeimer Candelario's latest comments will give fans flashbacks to former Reds All-Star

If there is one player on the Cincinnati Reds roster who needs to have a bounce-back season in 2025, it's Jeimer Candelario. The infielder was Cincinnati's biggest offseason signing a year ago, but Candelario fell woefully short of expectations, hitting just .225/.279/.429 with a 90 OPS+.

Though he gutted it out at various points throughout the 2024 season, Candelario ultimately finished the year on the IL with a broken toe. But Candelario is entering camp fully healthy this spring, and all signs point to new manager Terry Francona giving the 31-year-old every opportunity to win the starting job at third base.

During a recent conversation with FOX 19, Candelario spoke about his role as a leader on this year's Reds team. Some of the verbiage used by Candelario will remind Reds fans of another infielder who used to patrol the hot corner at Great American Ball Park.

Jeimer Candelario's latest comments will give fans flashbacks to former Reds All-Star Eugenio Suarez

"I'm always about good vibes," Candelario said. "Good vibes, talking the right way to people, respecting people...I'm that guy." If that sounds familiar to Reds fans, it's because a former Reds' All-Star used a similar phrase during his time with in the Queen City. Former Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez famously used the expression, "Good vibes only!"

The Reds fanbase would love for Candelario to not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk. Suarez was one of the most beloved Reds players in recently memory, but it wasn't just his words that made him a fan-favorite. Suarez was also famous for smoking bases-clearing line drives into the gap and hammering towering shots into the bleachers. Geno, as he was affectionately known, smashed 189 homers during his Reds' career and racked up 524 RBI during seven seasons in Cincy.

The Reds would love to receive that type of production (or something similar) from Candelario in 2025. Cincinnati needs someone on the club to step up and be that middle-of-the-order thumper. Candelario's career-high in home runs (22) came back in 2023, but if fully healthy, there's no reason to think he couldn't reach 30-plus round-trippers in 2025 while playing half his games at GABP.

Reds fans are hoping to see Candelario's production match his contract this season. A campaign similar to Suarez's All-Star season of 2018 would be tough to top, but certainly something worth aiming for.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors