After receiving a borderline insulting haul for J.D Martinez, Detroit Tigers General Manager Al Avila needed to make a splash in the trade market in the absolute worst way. He had to trade his son to do it. On July 31, 2017, Al Avila dealt Justin Wilson, a highly regarded bullpen arm, and catcher Alex Avila for promising youngsters Issac Paredes and Jeimer Candelario. While Paredes is still likely at least another year away, Candelario came up in September and made an immediate impact, mashing .330/.406/.468.
Jeimer Candelario in 2018
Even with the impressive 2017 cup of coffee, I expected “The Candy Man” to be inconsistent in his first big league season.