The Royals and Reds made the most important transfer of the non-tender deadline. Kansas Metropolis acquired infielder Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer from Cincinnati for beginning pitcher Brady Singer. The Royals had house on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding strikes have been crucial.
It’s a swap of huge league veterans between groups that anticipate to compete for a playoff spot. India and Singer are former school teammates at Florida who every went within the first spherical of the 2018 draft. Each gamers obtained to the large leagues inside a pair seasons and have been stable contributors over 4 years on the MLB stage. They’re every below membership management for one more two seasons.
India began his profession with a bang. He received the Nationwide League’s Rookie of the 12 months award in 2021, hitting .269/.376/.459 with 21 homers and 34 doubles whereas showing in 150 video games. India hasn’t fairly maintained that stage within the ensuing three seasons. That’s partially on account of damage, as he missed time with hamstring and foot points over the subsequent two years. He mixed for a .246/.333/.394 slash with 27 homers in 222 contests over that stretch. That’s middling manufacturing for a participant who spent his residence video games at Cincinnati’s Nice American Ball Park, arguably the league’s most hitter-friendly venue except for Coors Area.
He rebounded to an extent this previous season. The Reds toyed with utilizing him in a multi-positional position, however Matt McLain’s Spring Coaching shoulder damage pressed India again into on a regular basis work at second base. Whereas most of Cincinnati’s infield sputtered, India ran a .248/.357/.392 slash with 15 homers throughout 637 plate appearances. He averted the injured record and turned in his greatest numbers since his rookie yr.
India doesn’t have large residence run potential. He hasn’t reached 20 homers since his debut season. He’s unlikely to seek out extra over-the-fence pop at spacious Kauffman Stadium. India has stable hole energy and a great consciousness of the strike zone. He drew walks at a career-best 12.6% clip whereas maintaining his strikeouts to a modest 19.6% charge this yr. India has hit on the prime of the Cincinnati order for many of his profession, a task he’ll now play in Kansas Metropolis.
The Royals obtained little or no out of the leadoff spot in 2024. Skipper Matt Quatraro used glove-first third baseman Maikel Garcia as his major leadoff possibility. Garcia hit .231 with a meager .281 on-base share over 626 journeys to the plate. The Royals prioritized discovering a extra constant on-base presence who they may plug in atop the lineup. That’ll enable MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. and middle-of-the-order bats Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino to give you extra alternatives to drive in runs.
India ought to step into the leadoff spot, although it stays to be seen what place he’ll play. He has performed the whole thing of his practically 4000 innings within the majors at second base. Each Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Common have graded him as a subpar defender over his profession. Statcast felt he turned in common glovework this previous season, although DRS rated him 10 runs under par.
Total, India’s 2024 season wasn’t a lot better than the manufacturing turned in by incumbent second baseman Michael Massey. The lefty-hitting Massey batted .259/.294/.449 with 14 homers over 356 plate appearances whereas batting early-season again accidents. India will get on base extra persistently, however Massey has larger energy upside. They’re every middling defenders who’re unlikely to win any Gold Gloves.
Buying India to maneuver Massey to the bench could be puzzling. The Royals might look to bounce India across the diamond because the Reds thought of final spring. He was a 3rd baseman at Florida and in his early minor league profession. The Reds might strive him on the sizzling nook whereas kicking Garcia right into a utility position, although Statcast has graded India’s arm power as middling even by second base requirements. (Enjoying him at third might free the Royals to buy Garcia to groups which may play him at shortstop.) The Royals might bump India or Massey into the nook outfield, curbing enjoying time for the underperforming duo of MJ Melendez and Hunter Renfroe.
In any case, it’s clear the Royals positioned a premium on getting a leadoff hitter. They’re paying a big worth to get him. Groups are typically loath to half with controllable beginning pitching. Singer is a top quality mid-rotation arm. His profession 4.28 ERA displays some inconsistency, however he has posted a sub-4.00 mark in two of the previous three years.
That features a 3.71 displaying over a full slate of 32 begins this yr. Singer racked up a career-best 179 2/3 innings with typically spectacular peripherals. He struck out an honest 22.3% of opponents whereas getting ground-balls at an above-average 47.1% clip. Singer has at all times been a top quality strike-thrower, and he once more saved his stroll charge to a tidy 7.1% mark.
Singer’s stuff isn’t overpowering. He’s primarily a sinker-slider pitcher who sits round 92 MPH with the heater. The breaking ball is his greatest swing-and-miss providing, whereas the sinker typically performs for grounders. Singer has by no means discovered a changeup to neutralize left-handed hitters. Lefty batters have hit him at a .261/.342/.442 clip over his profession and teed off to a .291/.367/.488 slash this yr. Singer dominated right-handed opponents, although, holding them to a paltry .208/.252/.311 line.
The platoon points in all probability cap Singer’s upside to that of a 3rd or fourth starter. That’s nonetheless a really worthwhile participant, and Singer’s monitor report of sturdiness holds a number of enchantment to a Cincinnati rotation that was hit onerous by accidents this yr. He’ll slot behind Hunter Greene and alongside Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott in the course of the workers. Prime prospect Rhett Lowder might have the within monitor on the fifth starter position, whereas Nick Martinez is again after accepting a $21.05MM qualifying supply. Martinez isn’t any stranger to kicking between beginning and late-inning aid. He might start the season within the bullpen and transfer to the rotation as accidents inevitably come up.
It’s a pleasant get for Cincinnati, who once more had questions on the place they’d have performed India. McLain shall be again after lacking all of final season. With Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, the keystone is his greatest path to on a regular basis at-bats. The Reds might’ve deployed India in a utility position between first, second, designated hitter and the nook outfield. The Reds had beforehand been reluctant to maneuver India, who had emerged as a frontrunner within the clubhouse. They’ll have to fill that void off the sphere, however dealing him for a mid-rotation starter extra successfully balances the roster.
It’s an identical thought course of for the Royals, whose lineup wasn’t deep sufficient to match the power of their rotation. Kansas Metropolis nonetheless has a wonderful prime three in Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo and the re-signed Michael Wacha. Righty Alec Marsh might step into the fourth starter position. That’d go away Kyle Wright and Kris Bubic battling for the fifth starter job pending exterior acquisitions. Wright, who posted a 3.19 ERA over 30 begins for the Braves in 2022, is returning after lacking your entire ’24 season to shoulder surgical procedure. Bubic rehabbed a ’23 Tommy John process and returned to motion in a aid position final summer season. The Stanford product excelled briefly stints (2.67 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings) and will stretch again right into a beginning position.
On paper, Singer looks as if the extra worthwhile commerce chip than India. That’s partially balanced by the inclusion of Wiemer, who’ll compete for a spot in Ok.C.’s nook outfield. A former Brewers’ draft pick of the College of Cincinnati, Wiemer emerged as a prime prospect because of an enormous power-speed mixture. The longstanding query is whether or not the 6’4″ outfielder would make sufficient contact to faucet into that upside.
That hasn’t occurred up to now. Wiemer, who turns 26 in February, has hit .201/.279/.349 with an elevated 28.5% strikeout charge in 438 large league plate appearances. Milwaukee moved on from the right-handed hitter finally summer season’s deadline, packaging him to the Reds for a number of months of Frankie Montas. Wiemer carried a .242/.387/.358 line in Triple-A on the time of that commerce, however he completed the yr with a dismal .190/.280/.229 displaying in 118 plate appearances for Cincinnati’s prime affiliate. That understandably wasn’t sufficient to warrant an prolonged look within the majors. Wiemer solely took one at-bat in a Reds uniform.
Wiemer has one possibility yr remaining and comes with not less than 5 seasons of membership management. He could possibly be a long-term piece if he hits his stride in his mid-20s, however he’ll have to take a leap ahead along with his contact abilities for that to occur.
The commerce is near a wash financially. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz tasks Singer for an $8.8MM wage in his penultimate arbitration season. That’d seemingly bounce into the $12-14MM vary for 2026. India will make $7.05MM subsequent yr and can undergo arbitration once more within the following offseason. Wiemer will play for across the league minimal for not less than one other two seasons. Relying on Singer’s final arbitration worth, the Reds are including about $2MM to their payroll.
C. Trent Rosecrans and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported final week that the Royals and Reds had mentioned an India/Singer framework. Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Royals have been buying Wiemer.
Photographs courtesy of USA Right now Sports activities.
