Cincinnati Reds Reportedly Open to Trading Second Baseman Jonathan India
The Cincinnati Reds have taken MLB by storm this summer, thanks in large part to their bevy of rising star infielders.
As it turns out, though, they may have one too many.
The Reds have told other teams that they are willing to deal second baseman Jonathan India ahead of the trade deadline on Aug. 1, according to a report from MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand on Monday morning. Per Feinsand, the Reds would be open to trading India in exchange for young, controllable starting pitching.
Cincinnati has called up several of its top prospects over the past few months, with many of their positions overlapping. Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain are both shortstops, while Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are both corner infielders by trade.
With India manning second and veteran Joey Votto recently returning from injury to play first and designated hitter, the Reds have often resorted to heavily rotating their young players through the lineup.
De La Cruz entered the 2023 season as the No. 10 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, while McLain was No. 95 before he got called up in May. Even beyond Steer and Encarnacion-Strand, the Reds also have infielder Noelvi Marte, shortstop Edwin Arroyo and third baseman Cam Collier, who rank No. 16, No. 24 and No. 55, respectively.
The 26-year-old India is only two years removed from winning NL Rookie of the Year himself in 2021, but he has yet to match the .269 batting average, 21 home runs, 69 RBI, 12 stolen bases and .835 OPS he posted that season.
India's production fell off in 2022, when he hit just .249 with 10 homers, 41 RBI, three stolen bases and a .705 OPS in 103 games. Playing in a league-leading 100 games so far in 2023, India is still only hitting .251, although he does have 14 home runs, 51 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a .749 OPS.
The Reds have India under team control through the 2026 season, making him a valuable trade chip for other contenders looking to upgrade their middle infield in both the short and long term.
While Cincinnati boasts a top-10 offense in the league in most major categories, its pitching staff owns the fifth-highest ERA in baseball at 4.73. The Reds have been able to overcome that mark – which is largely attributable to their starters – and achieve a 55-46 record to this point, but that may not prove to be a sustainable formula for success as their playoff push approaches.
India has been a member of the Reds organization since they took him No. 5 overall in the 2018 MLB Draft. His days could apparently be numbered, though, with just one week left until the trade deadline.
The Reds open a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday at 8:10 p.m. ET. The winner of the series will take hold of first place in the NL Central.
Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media
Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.
You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
