The Reds and Royals are discussing a commerce that may ship second baseman Jonathan India to Kansas Metropolis in change 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 perimeters shouldn’t be thought of shut and that India is certainly one of “a number of” hitters the Royals are as they think about 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 under 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 12 months. In 637 journeys to the plate throughout 151 video games this 12 months, 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 certainly 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 charge of at the very least 12%.
That spectacular self-discipline on the plate makes India a invaluable asset whilst 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 12 months, 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 price noting that India appeared more likely to enter 2024 with out a clear place to name residence till 2023 Rookie of the Yr finalist Matt McLain missed the complete 2024 marketing campaign as a result of shoulder surgical procedure and high prospect Noelvi Marte missed the primary half of the season as a result of an 80-game PED suspension.
Marte struggled badly (31% strikeout charge, 46 wRC+) in 66 video games with the Reds this 12 months after getting back from his suspension, however McLain proved to be a dynamic offensive power for the membership in his 89-game rookie marketing campaign again in 2023. Then simply 23 years outdated, the teen slashed a superb .290/.357/.507 (127 wRC+) with 16 homers and 14 steals in simply 403 plate appearances.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 stage of offensive firepower over a full season in 2025, that may greater than make up for the lack of India’s bat from the lineup. It’s doable the membership might discover a option to preserve each second basemen within the lineup—McLain has gotten a handful of reps at third base and in heart 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 heart and the Reds unlikely to surrender on Marte after lower than half a season within the majors, it might make sense for the membership to money in on India now.
One smart means for the membership to try this could be concentrating on a top quality rotation arm like Singer. Each Singer and India are below management by 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 arbitration this winter. That slight web improve in wage dedication possible wouldn’t be an issue for a Reds membership that plans to run a payroll “at or above” 2024 ranges subsequent 12 months, giving them some respiratory room financially for subsequent season.
In Singer, the Reds would obtain a top 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 stable 3.71 ERA (114 ERA+) with a 3.94 FIP in 179 2/3 innings of labor throughout 32 begins final 12 months. 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 stage of his 153 1/3 innings of three.23 ERA ball the 12 months prior. Total, Singer has pitched to a 4.15 ERA (103 ERA+) with a 3.94 FIP over the past 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 in addition 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 an alternative 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 curious about contending instantly want Singer to each Marsh and Bubic and the Royals would possible should accept a youthful, much less established hitter in the event that they had been to deal both of their lesser arms.
Bringing India could be a considerably difficult match for the Royals, nevertheless, as it could possible 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 solely of their careers up to now, although Massey has one look on the sizzling nook and the Reds toyed with the concept of enjoying India at first base or in left area final 12 months earlier than dropping McLain for the season. It’s definitely possible to think about the Royals discovering applicable 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 every so often.