by Chris Ball

Loveland, Ohio – for those that are late to the party, Jonathan India’s time in a Reds uniform has come to a close. The fan favorite was traded this past week to the Kansas City Royals along with outfielder Joey  Wiemer. It was a trade that no doubt came with a wide array of emotions for fans.

After winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2021 there was a lot of belief that India could take the next step and be a potential all star in the following seasons. However, he never was able to match his award winning output and most of his numbers declined with each successive year. Despite those struggles no one in Cincinnati questioned India’s dedication to this city and the team as he consistently played through injuries and gave everything he could.

Despite his popularity there were significant calls to trade him in the offseason. Given the Reds’ surplus of infielders it was an understandable reaction. But the devastating early season injury to Matt McLain changed that very quickly and thrust India back into the starting lineup.

While it wasn’t a perfect 2024 campaign for him, India was extremely solid. He hit .248 and his on base percentage, OPS+ and BWAR were the highest since his rookie season. It was a much better season than most expected and certainly meant that his potential trade value was the highest it might realistically have been.

While we all love and will miss Jonathan India, it’s clear that it is now the Matt McLain era at second base is here to stay. It’s time to remember all of the great memories that Jonathan India gave this team, but also recognize that the Reds got a solid pitcher in return.

Brady Singer might not have dominant numbers, but he brings a lot of what the Reds need on their pitching staff. As MLB.com points out, “In 32 starts and 179 2/3 innings for Kansas City last season, Singer was 9-13 with a 3.71 ERA and 3.1 bWAR. He had more starts and innings than anybody on Cincinnati’s pitching staff in 2024.” This league is all about pitching and establishing depth. Singer provides that for a team that saw a flurry of injuries to its starters all year. He is primarily a ground ball pitcher, something that will be a significant benefit at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark.

Charlie Goldsmith also notes that over the last three years, Singer ranks 24th among big league pitchers in total WAR. There was a real chance that Jonathan India was going to spend a good chunk of the 2025 season on the Reds bench. Now, because of this trade Cincinnati added another decent arm for its pitching staff, something they clearly needed based on what happened in 2024. Time will tell if this trade was a “win” for the team, but at first blush, when you take out the emotion of trading away a fan favorite (struggles or no) and look at the objective reality of it, the move makes good baseball sense.

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Christopher Ball is a longtime Loveland resident and an attorney. He graduated from Loveland High School in 2003 and was a member of the football team before going on to become a coach’s assistant at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. He has been following and rooting for the Reds and Bengals since the early 1990s and has been through the many ups and downs that fandom has wrought over the years.

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