CHICAGO — Not only are the Cubs not going to be selling at the 2023 Major League Baseball trade deadline, they’re actually going to be buyers as they hope to end a three-year playoff drought.
The first of those moves went down on Monday, about 24 hours before the deadline.
Per multiple reports, the first from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Cubs have acquired third baseman Jeimer Candelario from the Nationals. In exchange, Washington will receive Cubs minor league pitcher DJ Herz, who is currently at Double-A Tennessee, and shortstop Kevin Made, who is currently at High-A South Bend.
The clubs have yet to confirm the move.
This is a full-circle moment for Candelario, who returns to the team that gave him his start in Major League Baseball. The Cubs signed him in 2010 as he joined their minor league system before earning his call-up to the majors in 2016.
Candelario play in 16 games for the club before being traded to the Tigers in 2017 in a deadline deal for catcher Alex Avila and reliever Justin Wilson. He would play for Detroit through the 2022 season before joining the Nationals as a free agent this offseason.
In 99 games in Washington this season, he has a slash line of .258/.342/.481 with 30 doubles, two triples, 16 homers, and 53 RBI.
Check back with WGNTV.com for more on this story.
