The Reds and Royals are discussing a commerce that might ship second baseman Jonathan India to Kansas Metropolis in alternate for right-hander Brady Singer, in accordance with a report from C. Trent Rosencrans and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal provides {that a} deal between the edges is just not thought of shut and that India is one among “a number of” hitters the Royals are taking a look at as they take into account dealing from their rotation depth.
India, 28 subsequent month, is coming off one thing of a rebound marketing campaign in 2024. After averaging simply 111 video games per season in every of the previous two years with beneath common offensive numbers whereas coping with hamstring points and a bout of plantar fasciitis in his left foot, he posted his greatest season since successful the 2021 NL Rookie of the 12 months award this previous yr. In 637 journeys to the plate throughout 151 video games this yr, India slashed a decent .248/.357/.392 (108 wRC+) whereas slugging 15 homers and stealing 13 bases. He additionally struck out simply 19.6% of the time whereas strolling at a 12.6% clip, making him one among simply three gamers (alongside Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto) to strike out in lower than 20% of his plate appearances with a stroll charge of no less than 12%.
That spectacular self-discipline on the plate makes India a precious asset at the same time as his energy and pace numbers fall in need of 20/20 potential. Simply 5 certified second basemen posted higher offensive seasons by measure of wRC+ than India did final yr, and his 2.8 fWAR ranks seventh on the place. On the floor, shedding that manufacturing would appear to be debilitating for a Reds offense that was bottom-five in baseball by measure of wRC+ in 2024. With that being mentioned, it’s price noting that India appeared more likely to enter 2024 with out a clear place to name residence till 2023 Rookie of the 12 months finalist Matt McLain missed the whole 2024 marketing campaign because of shoulder surgical procedure and high prospect Noelvi Marte missed the primary half of the season because of an 80-game PED suspension.
Marte struggled badly (31% strikeout charge, 46 wRC+) in 66 video games with the Reds this yr after coming back from his suspension, however McLain proved to be a dynamic offensive pressure for the membership in his 89-game rookie marketing campaign again in 2023. Then simply 23 years outdated, the teenager slashed a wonderful .290/.357/.507 (127 wRC+) with 16 homers and 14 steals in simply 403 plate appearances. If he can produce something near that degree of offensive firepower over a full season in 2025, that might greater than make up for the lack of India’s bat from the lineup. It’s potential the membership may discover a method to hold each second basemen within the lineup—McLain has gotten a handful of reps at third base and in middle area throughout his current stint in Arizona Fall League— however with TJ Friedl only one season faraway from a 3.9-win marketing campaign in middle and the Reds unlikely to surrender on Marte after lower than half a season within the majors, it may make sense for the membership to money in on India now.
One smart manner for the membership to try this can be concentrating on a high quality rotation arm like Singer. Each Singer and India are below management by means of the top of the 2026 season, making the swap a reasonably clear one from a group management perspective. India is assured a $5MM wage for 2025 and is arbitration eligible for 2026, whereas MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz tasks Singer for an $8.8MM wage in his penultimate journey by means of arbitration this winter. That slight web enhance in wage dedication probably wouldn’t be an issue for a Reds membership that plans to run a payroll “at or above” 2024 ranges subsequent yr, giving them some respiratory room financially for subsequent season.
In Singer, the Reds would obtain a high quality mid-rotation arm to pair with Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo behind employees ace Hunter Greene. The 28-year-old righty pitched to a strong 3.71 ERA (114 ERA+) with a 3.94 FIP in 179 2/3 innings of labor throughout 32 begins final yr. That’s a serious step ahead from a disastrous 2023 season that noticed him submit a 5.52 ERA in 159 2/3 frames, however not fairly on the degree of his 153 1/3 innings of three.23 ERA ball the yr prior. General, Singer has pitched to a 4.15 ERA (103 ERA+) with a 3.94 FIP over the past three seasons, which units up a strong ground for the right-hander trying ahead even when he doesn’t return to the extent of manufacturing he flashed in 2022.
With Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, and Michael Wacha all locked into the membership’s rotation for 2025, it makes loads of sense for the Royals to discover trades from their crop of back-end arms that features not solely Singer but additionally Kyle Wright, Alec Marsh, and Kris Bubic. These latter two names have already discovered themselves within the rumor mill this winter, and Rosenthal’s report confirms the Royals are nonetheless “entertaining” the potential for shifting both Marsh or Bubic as a substitute of Singer, although he provides that Lugo, Ragans, and Wacha are all understood to be “basically off-limits.” With that being mentioned, he notes that groups concerned with contending instantly choose Singer to each Marsh and Bubic and the Royals would probably must accept a youthful, much less established hitter in the event that they have been to deal both of their lesser arms.
Bringing India can be a considerably difficult match for the Royals, nonetheless, as it could probably displace incumbent second baseman Michael Massey. Massey loved one of the best season of his profession in 2024, slashing .259/.294/.449 with 14 homers and a 102 wRC+ in 356 journeys to the plate whereas enjoying round again points early within the season. Each Massey and India have performed second base nearly completely of their careers thus far, although Massey has one look on the scorching nook and the Reds toyed with the concept of enjoying India at first base or in left area final yr earlier than shedding McLain for the season. It’s actually possible to think about the Royals discovering acceptable enjoying time for each gamers by using the DH on days the place Salvador Perez is catching, particularly if India also can combine into the outfield occasionally.
