Reds Make Music with India for Singer Swap

After almost two years of speculation, the Cincinnati Reds finally made up their minds about what to do with Jonathan India – they’re trading him to the Kansas City Royals.

For a baseball team that doesn't often dabble in big-name trades, this comes about as close to a “bombshell” as humanly possible.? India isn’t a star – at least, not outside of Cincinnati – but he’s a competent player with baseball’s best hairdo.

That is, as they say, not nothing.

And in return, the Reds got a little something too: Brady Singer, the 28-year-old righthander who set career-highs in games started (32), innings pitched (179.2), strikeouts (170), and produced the lowest groundball-to-flyball ratio (0.91) of his career.

This is the proverbial trade that works for both sides.? The Royals needed more pop in their lineup and someone who can get on-base in front of All-Universe shortstop Bobby Whitt Jr.? The Reds needed a dependable pitcher who can stay healthy and eat innings while limiting fly balls and homers.? For both teams, that’s mission accomplished.

Of course, just because the move made baseball-sense doesn’t mean it won’t ruffle a few feathers, especially in Cincinnati.? For all of his warts (below-average defense, startling lack of power, middling ability on the basepaths), India is/was a very popular player in Cincinnati.? And why wouldn’t he be?? How many other players in the MLB could reasonably be mistaken for a real life pirate?

Let’s face facts: it hasn’t been an easy stretch for Reds fans.? When the going gets tough, sometimes all you can ask for is a chance to see your favorite player perform.? Well, now that’s one more favorite player who’s been shown the door by the Reds front office.? Add India to the list that now includes Johnny Cueto, Todd Frazier, Jay Bruce, Luis Castillo, Eugenio Suarez, Jesse Winker, and a host of former Cincinnati stars who’ve seen their tenure in the Queen City come to an ignominious end via trade.? If the Reds aren’t going to win, can’t we at least keep the guys we like to root for?

It’s not like there’s no risk with this trade either.? Singer is a good player, but the Royals gave him the opportunity to face just a single batter during the postseason (that said, it was against AL MVP Aaron Judge and he struck him out).

Great American Ballpark is infamous for its short fences that have ballooned pitching numbers over the years.? And besides, this wouldn’t be the first time trading for a Kansas City pitcher didn’t work out for the Reds – the Reds whiffed on all three pitchers they got back from the Royals in the Cueto-trade.? The names Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed will haunt Reds fans for generations.

Besides, last year, the Reds’ biggest weakness wasn’t their starting pitching.? If anything, that was their strength.? Hitting was their area of greatest need, and the Reds just traded away one of their three best hitters, along with another decent hitting prospect in Joey Wiemer.? India wasn’t elite, but he had a real, translatable MLB skill-set.? His power numbers will never be outstanding, but his plate discipline and patience were (.352 OBP over four years).? Who’s supposed to bat leadoff now?

So, from a certain perspective, there’s a lot about this move to criticize.? The Reds track record in trades is, for one thing, mixed at best.? Without India around, the Reds are down one of their most reliable hitters and one of their most compelling reasons to show up at the ballpark.? And as for Singer…well, we’ve seen what happens to pitchers of all stripes when they come to Cincinnati.

But the fact remains: this was a defensible move.? Acquiring quality pitching is always expensive, because quality pitching is always in demand.? It’s true what they say – you can never have enough pitching.? Honestly, it’s refreshing that the Reds recognized this.

It would have been easy this offseason to look at Hunter Greene’s, Andrew Abbott’s, and Nick Martinez’s raw numbers and assume the pitching is good enough, but that’s the same logic that saw the Reds offense take a massive dip in effectiveness from 2023 to 2024.? The Reds don’t have enough proven talent to be taking anything?for granted.? The Reds had an opportunity to add one of the best ground ball starters in the game with three years of team control remaining, and all it cost them was a mediocre second baseman without any defensive versatility and minimal power, and a post-hype outfielder prospect who fell out of favor in Milwaukee.? That, my friends, is a win.

Furthermore, it was always going to be difficult finding an appropriate role for India next year now that Matt McLain has returned from injury.? Two years ago, McLain was already outperforming India at the plate, all while playing excellent defense at shortstop.? In the limited time McLain played second base alongside Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, McLain looked right at home. If top prospect Edwin Arroyo shines again in spring training or if Noelvi Marté can put his massive 2023 struggles behind him, that’s even more competition for infield playing time.

Again, there is risk in going with McLain over India, especially just a year following McLain’s season-ending labrum surgery, but from a baseball standpoint, it’s justified.? McLain is younger and cheaper, and demonstrated more potential in his rookie season at the plate than India ever did.? India was entertaining, and definitely a leader in the clubhouse, but that wasn’t translating to wins.

To sum it up, this was a good trade for the Reds.? This was the essence of trading from a position of strength (infield depth) for a position of weakness (starting pitching depth).? With Singer now in the fold, a rotation that includes Greene, Abbott, Martinez and Singer looks incredibly promising.? The Reds have plenty of options for 5th starter too.

Nick Lodolo can be downright filthy at times, and if he can stay healthy he can be far?better than a 5th starter. Rhett Lowder demonstrated exactly the kind of talent that made him the #7 pick in his brief September audition, while this year’s #2 pick Chase Burns may have the best pure stuff of any pitcher in the Reds organization. Carson Spiers is probably better suited for a Martinez-like long-relief/emergency starter role, but he can be effective in a pinch. Brandon Williamson and Graham Ashcraft could be potential options as well.

All things considered, this was a move the Reds were wise to make.? The Reds now have depth and high-end talent in their starting rotation.? The loss of India is a blow, but it’s nothing that can’t be replaced by McLain.? If the Reds manage to sign one of the impact bats in free agency (maybe Tyler O’Neill?), the offense should be improved regardless.? It’s never fun watching the Reds move on from fan-favorite players, but perhaps it can be buoyed by the fact that, in this case, the Reds almost certainly got the more valuable player.? This was a win-now trade, and it could be a sign of more win-now moves to come.