The Reds and Royals are discussing a commerce that might ship second baseman Jonathan India to Kansas Metropolis in trade for right-hander Brady Singer, in keeping with a report from C. Trent Rosencrans and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal provides {that a} deal between the perimeters is just not thought-about shut and that India is considered one of “a number of” hitters the Royals are as they contemplate 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 finest season since successful the 2021 NL Rookie of the Yr award this previous yr. In 637 journeys to the plate throughout 151 video games this yr, India slashed a good .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 considered one of simply three gamers (alongside Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto) to strike out in lower than 20% of his plate appearances with a stroll fee of not less than 12%.
That spectacular self-discipline on the plate makes India a invaluable asset whilst his energy and pace numbers fall wanting 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, dropping 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 value noting that India appeared more likely to enter 2024 and not using a clear place to name residence till 2023 Rookie of the Yr finalist Matt McLain missed your complete 2024 marketing campaign attributable to shoulder surgical procedure and prime prospect Noelvi Marte missed the primary half of the season attributable to an 80-game PED suspension.
Marte struggled badly (31% strikeout fee, 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 drive for the membership in his 89-game rookie marketing campaign again in 2023. Then simply 23 years previous, the teen slashed a superb .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 attainable the membership may discover a approach to maintain each second basemen within the lineup—McLain has gotten a handful of reps at third base and in heart discipline throughout his current stint in Arizona Fall League— however with TJ Friedl only one season faraway from a 3.9-win marketing campaign in heart 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 wise approach for the membership to do 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 doubtless 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 respiration 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 workers ace Hunter Greene. The 28-year-old righty pitched to a stable 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 significant 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. Total, Singer has pitched to a 4.15 ERA (103 ERA+) with a 3.94 FIP during the last three seasons, which units up a stable flooring 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 transferring both Marsh or Bubic as a substitute of Singer, although he provides that Lugo, Ragans, and Wacha are all understood to be “primarily off-limits.” With that being mentioned, he notes that groups inquisitive about contending instantly want Singer to each Marsh and Bubic and the Royals would doubtless must accept a youthful, much less established hitter in the event that they had been to deal both of their lesser arms.
Bringing India can be a considerably difficult match for the Royals, nevertheless, as it might doubtless 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 taking part in round again points early within the season. Each Massey and India have performed second base nearly completely of their careers up to now, although Massey has one look on the scorching nook and the Reds toyed with the thought of taking part in India at first base or in left discipline final yr earlier than dropping McLain for the season. It’s actually possible to think about the Royals discovering applicable taking part in time for each gamers by using the DH on days the place Salvador Perez is catching, particularly if India may combine into the outfield once in a while.
