Nationals sign Candelario to 1-year deal worth reported $5M

The Washington Nationals signed free-agent third baseman Jeimer Candelario to a one-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.

Candelario's new deal will pay him $5 million in 2023 with an additional $1 million in performance bonuses, a source told ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Candelario, 29, spent the last six seasons with the Detroit Tigers. He was non-tendered by the club on Nov. 18.

The switch-hitting Candelario struggled in 2022, slashing .217/.272/.361 with 13 home runs, 49 runs scored, and 50 RBIs in 124 games.

Candelario will look to recapture the form he displayed across 2020-21 when he accrued 5.8 fWAR with a 125 wRC+ in 201 games.

He'll join a Nationals club that ranked 22nd in wRC+, 26th in runs scored, and 28th in home runs last season.

In addition to signing Candelario, the Nationals also announced Tuesday that they signed outfielder Stone Garrett to a major-league contract. The financial terms of his deal weren't revealed.

Garrett, 27, made his big-league debut in August with the Arizona Diamondbacks after eight minor-league seasons. He hit .276/.309/.539 with four homers, 10 RBIs, and three stolen bases across 27 games. Arizona designated the Sugar Land, Texas, native for assignment earlier this month.