Reds second baseman Jonathan India, the 2021 Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months, noticed his title pop up on the rumor circuit over the summer time and has already been an oft-cited commerce candidate within the early levels of the offseason. Latest experiences from Bob Nightengale of USA Immediately and Jeff Passan of ESPN do little to quell the idea that the 26-year-old may change palms this winter. Nightengale wrote over the weekend that Cincinnati is “anticipated” to commerce India this offseason, whereas Passan writes this morning that the Reds have been suggesting to potential commerce companions that India is the “odd man out” of their glut of infielders.
Certainly, the Reds have an enviable crop of younger expertise on the dust. Past India, they noticed former first-round decide Matt McLain, high prospect Elly De La Cruz and commerce acquisitions Spencer Steer, Noelvi Marte and Christian Encarnacion-Strand all log time within the massive leagues.
McLain was essentially the most spectacular of the bunch, hitting .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers and 14 steals in 403 journeys to the plate. De La Cruz pale after a scorching begin however nonetheless posted a .235/.300/.410 line with 13 homers and a whopping 35 steals in simply 98 video games — all whereas recording intriguing batted-ball metrics per Statcast and displaying off his elite velocity. Steer, in the meantime, bounced between first base, second base, third base and the outfield corners whereas delivering a .271/.356/.464 output and 23 homers. Encarnacion-Strand (.270/.328/.477, 13 homers in 241 plate appearances) and Marte (.316/.366/.456 in 123 plate appearances) noticed much less time than the others however acquitted themselves properly of their MLB debuts.
It’s an immensely proficient quintet — one with loads of defensive versatility. It appears seemingly that Encarnacion-Strand will settle in at first base and designated hitter, and Steer clearly loved success on the plate in a nomadic, jack-of-all-trades position (even when he graded as a below-average defender in any respect 5 positions). Every of De La Cruz, Marte and McLain can deal with shortstop, third base or second base. De La Cruz noticed essentially the most time at shortstop of the bunch but in addition posted lesser defensive grades than McLain. The Reds can tinker with the precise alignment in spring coaching, however no matter who’s manning which place, it’s laborious to not be bullish on Cincinnati’s rising core of younger infielders.
Provided that wealth of expertise, it turns into simpler to see how India might be the odd man out. He’s but to copy his wonderful displaying in that aforementioned Rookie of the 12 months marketing campaign, when he batted .269/.376/.459 with 21 house runs, 23 doubles, 12 steals and an 11.3% stroll fee. He’s since turned in a .246/.333/.394 batting line in 960 plate appearances, displaying diminished energy and a stroll fee about three proportion factors decrease than his rookie mark. Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Common each solid him as a poor defender at his place.
On account of his former draft standing (fifth general in 2018), prospect pedigree and that Rookie of the 12 months displaying, many followers have speculated that India might be used to assist the Reds purchase an improve for the entrance portion of their rotation. Nonetheless, given India’s struggles with the glove and (over the previous two seasons) on the plate, it doesn’t appear all that seemingly that he’d command a powerful rotation piece on his personal — and even because the headliner in a bundle additionally together with lesser prospects.
India is coming into his first arbitration season, projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $3.7MM in 2024, and stays controllable for an additional three seasons. These elements, plus his age, are maybe the Reds’ strongest promoting factors in commerce talks. That stated, India feels extra like a buy-low candidate than many onlookers would possibly anticipate for somebody who appeared like a Reds constructing block simply two years in the past. Absolutely the dearth of high quality infield choices on the free agent market will play to the Reds’ profit in drumming up curiosity, but it surely appears unlikely that India will fetch them a serious improve to the beginning rotation.
MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald and I mentioned India’s potential commerce candidacy (amongst many different matters) on the upcoming episode of the MLB Commerce Rumors podcast, and simply this previous weekend MLBTR’s Nick Deeds took a have a look at some potential touchdown spots for India within the occasion that the Reds in the end do transfer him. India positioned eleventh on MLBTR’s record of the highest 25 offseason commerce candidates simply yesterday.
