I wouldn't say it this way.
Because we were moving on from Candy in 2023 no matter what, even if we didn't after 2022. He's a FA this year. He's gone. No need to invest a FA contract on him. It doesn't matter to me that they didn't have a ready-made replacement at 3B... that's just a problem to solve.
To me the issues were:
1) 2B is easier to slot guys and/or test guys out at than at 3B. Much easier to flip guys like McKinstry/ Short/ Maton etc. through 2B, and some time at SS and some time at 3B, than to push one of them into a starting 3B job. Much easier to handle 2B. And if they show themselves as good enough to take over 3B... then a move could conceivably be made. Same with Malloy and Keith if they made it to MLB this year. But even if no one showed enough at 3B in 2023, we were STILL moving on from Candy during/ after 2023 so to me, that's moot point. The position still needs to be filled. I'd rather make it easier on guys though (2B), and force one of them to "push" Candy out of the 3B job. I don't consider lack of 3B replacement as a "mistake", per se, but instead, the "mistake" of valuing 2B higher than 3B, and of creating a more difficult transition path for new guys (3B instead of 2B), and also of not retaining a "push him out the door with performance" situation.
2) Schoop was a mistake to me. All winter long I assessed him as "toast". Now... what do I know? But, reiterating one of my points... what kind of performance would be required to push him out of a spot? Because it looks like to me: a guy could be the worst player in MLB this year (not counting Schoop), and that would be good enough to push Schoop out of a job. Because... Schoop is the worst piece of hot garbage in MLB, this year.
3) Opportunity Cost: dropping Candy means we lost a draft pick I believe. Why would we do that? Aside from getting guys back in a deadline trade, which may or may not have more value than the draft pick... why are we tossing easy money (draft pick/ traded-for players) out the door? That's a lost opportunity cost, which I think is a mistake.
4) Candy 2023 > Schoop 2023. Any decision otherwise was a mistake. And this was known in October, 2022. At least by those who have some Nostradamus in their DNA. Like me. And Chas. And I think Lee too IIRC...