Jonathan India

It feels as though the Cincinnati Reds have been engaged in trade talks for second baseman Jonathan India for the better part of the last six months and according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, those talks have only intensified since the team added Jeimer Candelario in free agency.

One team whose name has been all over free agency rumors, reports, and innuendo this offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays, appear to be one of those clubs interested in adding India to their roster, as reported by Canadian Baseball Net's Bob Elliott.

It has been a disappointing offseason for the Jays to this point, particularly after appearing to be so close to signing Shohei Ohtani, only to watch the greatest two-way player in baseball history ink a historic deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers instead.

The team is still in the hunt for 25-year-old righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto and has been linked to other free agents and trade chips this offseason, but the India deal makes the most sense of all of them.

The Jays have a need at second base. Whit Merrifield played some at the position in 2023, but is now a free agent. Cavan Biggio also saw time there and would likely be the incumbent if the season started today but neither he, nor Santiago Espinal, Davis Schneider, or any of the prospects in the farm system, should inspire a ton of confidence in the Blue Jays faithful.

India, on the other hand, is a quality second baseman who has played the position his entire career and is only a trade chip at this point because of a logjam of prospects coming up through the Reds’ farm system.

He has three years of arbitration left on his current deal and does not become a free agent until 2027, which would give the Jays plenty of time to establish stability at the position.

Offensively, India tallied 111 hits, 17 homers, 61 RBI, and 17 stolen bases in 2023, with a slash line of .244/.338/.407.

Defensively, he had a fielding percentage of .977, the highest of his career. He turned 69 double plays.

An asset offensively and defensively, at a position of need rather than want or one that grabs headlines like Ohtani would have, India is a must-add for a Blue Jays team that could use defensive assistance in the infield.

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly still shopping second baseman Jonathan India.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that trade talks involving India "remain active" with multiple clubs after the team signed infielder Jeimer Candelario.

India has multiple seasons of control left as he is not set to hit free agency until after the 2026 season. He has played his entire career at second base, with some spot appearances as a designated hitter.

India is a career .244 hitter with 17 home runs, 61 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He was the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year and could be a solid addition to a team looking to solidify the second base position.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Reds are not guaranteed to trade India as the team likes his leadership capabilities, but the logjam in the infield is something Cincinnati will have to sort out. The Reds have Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Noelvi Marte, Spencer Steer, India and now Candelario in the infield.

While Steer is expected to be moved to the outfield and India could be used as a designated hitter and potentially at first base or the outfield, selling high on him and bringing in a few prospects or adding pitching depth could be a solid option for a team looking to make a postseason push soon.

The Cincinnati Reds are exploring possible trades for infielder Jonathan India and have been in discussions with three or four teams, according to MLB Network's John Morosi.

Morosi reported that while no deal is currently in place, talks between the sides have been active and that things have progressed over the course of the week for the 26-year-old.

India was selected No. 5 overall by Cincinnati in the 2018 MLB draft and made an immediate impact when he was called up ahead of the 2021 campaign. He went on to win NL Rookie of the Year.

Morosi reported earlier in the month that India was a bit of a hot commodity for team's around the league during the MLB GM Meetings. However, he also emphasized that the Reds didn't seem too keen on trading the young star.

"India is a popular name among execs at the MLB GM Meetings. Multiple teams have inquired to the Reds about his availability," Morosi tweeted. "Reds will listen to offers due to their position-player depth, but they value India highly and aren't motivated to move him."

India had a decent third campaign in the big leagues. In 119 games he batted .244/.338/.407 with 17 homers and 61 RBI.

The Reds may feel a little less unsure about dealing India thanks to the play of Matt McLain, who had an excellent debut season while serving as an extra infielder on the roster.

The 24-year-old rookie played just 89 games but made the most of the opportunity. He hit .290/.507/.338 with 16 homers and 50 RBI.

McLain is the latest piece of the Reds' excellent youth movement that's spearheaded by Elly de la Cruz.

It'll be interesting to see how general manager Nick Krall handles the India situation. He already made a statement earlier in the offseason when he declined the option of franchise legend Joey Votto.

As the Cincinnati Reds try to figure out what to do with their surplus of infielders, general manager Nick Krall is already engaged in the trade market.

Speaking to reporters during the general managers meetings, Krall said he's talked with "a handful" of teams about "multiple players" on their roster.

Krall's comments came after MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on Wednesday that second baseman Jonathan India was a "popular name" among executives, but the Reds have a high opinion of the 26-year-old and "aren't motivated to move him."

The Reds had 17 players with at least 120 plate appearances last season. From that group, nine played the infield or designated hitter. They did clear out two spots with Kevin Newman being a free agent and declining Joey Votto's $20 million option for 2024.

This still leaves Cincinnati with seven players for the four infield spots and one DH slot in the lineup. India, Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Matt McClain would seem like the favorites for those spots if they are on the roster.

Nick Senzel and Noelvi Marte are potential wild cards in the mix. Senzel is the oldest player of the group at 28 years old. He's struggled to make an impact as a big leaguer with a .239/.302/.369 slash line in 377 career games.

The Reds could try to move Senzel, but he likely wouldn't bring much back in a potential trade. Marte is interesting because he played well with a .316/.366/.456 slash line in 123 plate appearances after being called up in August.

Given Marte's status as a top-25 prospect, there's no reason for the Reds not to start next season with him as their starting third baseman.

India has struggled to replicate his success since being named NL Rookie of the Year in 2021. He hit .269/.376/.459 with 21 homers, 69 RBI and 12 stolen bases with 3.1 FanGraphs wins above replacement two years ago.

Since that time, India has a .246/.333/.394 slash line with 27 homers and 17 stolen bases in 222 games. He's been worth 1.7 FanGraphs wins above replacement during that span.

Coming off a surprise 82-80 record in 2023, the Reds could be aggressive this offseason to take advantage of their surplus of hitters to add more pitching help that can get them over the hump in the playoff race.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India's name has proven to be "popular" at the annual meeting of general managers, which is taking place from Tuesday through Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona.

However, the Reds "aren't motivated to move" India, who they still value highly, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

India, who turns 27 years old in December, just finished his third MLB season. He hit .244 (.746 OPS) with 17 home runs, 61 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 2023 over 119 games.

India remains under team control for three more seasons before he can enter free agency following the 2026 campaign.

India broke onto the MLB scene in 2021 and starred en route to National League Rookie of the Year honors with 21 home runs, 69 RBI and a .835 OPS.

Unfortunately, serious injuries (a right hamstring strain, a calf injury that led to an evaluation for compartment syndrome) kept India off the field for two months total during the 2022 campaign. Plantar fasciitis in his left foot kept India out for a month and a half in 2023.

India has remained a productive and valuable member of the Reds, however, and his presence helped Cincinnati improve by 20 wins year-to-year (62 to 82).

The Reds were in the heat of the playoff race in 2023 before falling two games short of the final wild card spot to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who ended up winning the NL pennant.

It's understandable why teams are interested in India, especially with him under team control for three years. He's a solid middle infielder with a good bat easily capable of hitting 20 or more homers a season.

But the Reds are probably best hanging onto India and building around him and others as they look to improve upon last season and search for their first playoff win since 2012.

The Cincinnati Reds reportedly aren't likely to deal second baseman Jonathan India before the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, it is "far more likely" the Reds will move India during the offseason since he won't bring the type of return they want or need at the deadline.

Rosenthal noted that trading India for a rental wouldn't make sense, as India is under team control for three more years, nor would trading him for prospects since the Reds already have a stacked pool of prospects.

If the Reds were to trade India, Rosenthal added that they would like to get a controllable starting pitcher in return, but finding that type of offer will be difficult and perhaps even impossible.

The 26-year-old India won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2021, batting .269 with 21 home runs, 69 RBI, 98 runs scored, 34 doubles and 12 stolen bases, all of which still stand as career highs.

Injuries limited India to 103 games last season, and his numbers suffered, as he hit .249 with 10 homers, 41 RBI, 48 runs, 16 doubles and three steals.

While India has not put up All-Star-caliber numbers this season, he has gotten back closer to his 2021 production and has also managed to stay healthy.

In 102 games, India is slashing .251/.336/.410 with 14 home runs, 52 RBI, 68 runs, 20 doubles and 12 stolen bases.

At 56-48, the Reds are just 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central lead and they hold the final wild-card spot. A team in their position typically wouldn't be looking to deal a team like India, but the Reds have an embarrassment of riches in terms of young infielders.

Elly De La Cruz has been a rookie sensation, plus Spencer Steer and Matt McLain are producing at a high level. Cincinnati recently called up Christian Encarnacion-Strand as well.

There simply isn't enough room in the lineup for all of the Reds' young stars on a daily basis, although trading India would help alleviate the logjam.

Having a player with some Major League experience like India wouldn't hurt down the stretch, though, especially since the Reds are unexpectedly pushing for a playoff spot.

Waiting until the offseason to shop India would allow Cincinnati to begin the 2024 season with a clean slate in the infield, and also perhaps draw a wider range of offers since teams won't be tethered to where they sit in the standings.