"Just under a year ago, the Royals and Reds made one of the first significant trades of the 2024-25 offseason when Kansas City acquired Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer in exchange for right-hander Brady Singer. The trade made plenty of sense at the time, as the Reds were in need of some reliability in their rotation while the Royals were desperate for offensive upgrades in the lineup."
"In 136 games this past year, the 28-year-old India split time between second base, third base, and left field while hitting .233/.323/.346 (89 wRC+). He was essentially a replacement level player, worth 0.4 WAR according Baseball Reference and -0.3 according to Fangraphs. That might sound surprising considering that India was within spitting distance of league average offensively and collected 567 plate appearances, but his defense was atrocious."
"Did India struggle enough that his first year in Kansas City will also be his last? He's due to go through the arbitration process one final time in 2026, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $7.4MM salary next year. That's a hefty chunk of change to spend on a replacement level player, especially for a Royals club that doesn't have much money to spend this winter without first making room in the budget."
Kansas City traded Brady Singer to Cincinnati for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer. Singer delivered a solid 4.03 ERA across 32 starts for the Reds. India appeared in 136 games for Kansas City, hitting .233/.323/.346 (89 wRC+) and registering roughly replacement-level value (0.4 WAR per Baseball Reference, -0.3 per Fangraphs). Defensive metrics were notably poor, including -14 Outs Above Average (first percentile) and -6 Defensive Runs Saved. India faces final arbitration in 2026 with a projected $7.4MM salary, creating budget pressure for a Royals team with limited offseason funds and cheaper internal options.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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