Nick Krall's old Jeimer Candelario comments should put Ke'Bryan Hayes on notice

Jeimer Candelario was back in the news earlier this week. The former Cincinnati Reds third baseman, who signed a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Angels this past offseason, elected free agency. Candelario spent most of the 2026 season with the Halos' Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City, and will now be looking to latch on with a new club during the offseason.

But that got us thinking back to the Reds' decision to designate Candelario for assignment back in 2025. The veteran had an unproductive start to the season, was placed on the injured list, rehabbed at Triple-A for a few weeks, and was then activated and promptly DFA'd.

The Reds had to eat the remaining $22.5 million on Candelario's contract — including the $15 million in salary and $3 million buyout Cincinnati covered this season. That number eclipsed the $22 million the Reds owed Mike Moustakas after cutting him loose with one year remaining on his $64 million contract.

Nick Krall's own words should force the Reds to DFA Ke'Bryan Hayes

Is it time for the Reds to do the same with another third baseman? Ke'Bryan Hayes had one of the worst seasons in Major League Baseball — ever! Most Reds fans are fed up with Hayes' all-glove, no-bat approach, and many have advocated for Cincinnati to just cut bait and absorb the remaining $29 million on his deal; one that runs through 2029.

That's a mighty big chunk of change, and the Reds might have a hard time stomaching such as massive hit to the wallet. But if president of baseball operations Nick Krall is to take some of his own sound advice, the decision should be a rather easy one.

“At the end of the day, you have to look at it as sunk cost because if he’s not going to help you, you can’t bring a player that’s not going to help this team win," Krall said after Candelario was DFA'd last June.

As you can plainly see from the chart above, aside from WAR — which take into account Hayes' above-average defense at third base — Candelario was the superior player, yet he's no longer with the ball club.

It seems unlikely that the Reds will DFA Hayes before the start of the 2027, but he'll almost certainly be on a short leash. Krall's words could be a foreshadowing of what's to come if Hayes fails to find his footing in the batter's box next season.

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