In 2023, the Cincinnati Reds witnessed the rise of promising young talents such as Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, and Elly De La Cruz. Their emergence played a significant role in propelling the team into unexpected contention throughout the season, although they narrowly missed the playoffs, finishing with an 82-80 record. However, the influx of these young infielders, including Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Noelvi Marte, has created a logjam in the Reds’ infield.Given the surplus of infield options, it is logical for the Reds to explore trade opportunities to alleviate the overcrowding. Reports suggest that the team considered trading Jonathan India, the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year, who had a strong start to the season, hitting .271/.355/.439 in his first 73 games. However, India battled plantar fasciitis in the second half, resulting in a decline in his performance with a slash line of .201/.312/.356 in the remaining 205 plate appearances. With India unlikely to move from second base and the Reds looking to acquire additional infield talent, it is reasonable to expect India to be available for trade this offseason, especially considering the team’s urgent need for a reliable starting pitcher to complement Hunter Greene at the top of their rotation.

While it may seem prudent to hold onto India in the hopes of increasing his trade value with a full and healthy campaign in 2024, the limited availability of quality middle infielders in the free agent market could make India a more valuable asset than he appears at first glance. The current crop of free agents at the middle infield position includes Tim Anderson, Whit Merrifield, and Amed Rosario, all of whom India outperformed in 2023 despite his injuries. Furthermore, India’s projected arbitration cost of just $3.7 million, as estimated by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz, makes him a financially affordable option compared to the likes of Anderson or Merrifield, who may command higher salaries.

So, which teams might be suitable trade partners for the Reds? As mentioned earlier, India is primarily suited for second base, which rules out teams with established second basemen or a surplus of infield options. This eliminates potential suitors such as the Astros, Cubs, Padres, Cardinals, Yankees, Rays, Diamondbacks, Orioles, Guardians, Twins, Rangers, Phillies, A’s, Marlins, Rockies, Mets, Angels, and Braves. Additionally, the Royals and Pirates are unlikely to part with long-term pitching assets to acquire a player who could potentially block their own system’s prospects. However, this still leaves nine teams that could be interested in India’s services for the upcoming offseason. Let’s take a closer look at how they match up…

Best Fits:

Dodgers: Among the clear best fits for India is the Dodgers, who were forced to move superstar outfielder Mookie Betts to the infield dirt for much of the 2023 season. While he pulled off a multi-positional role with aplomb, a middle infield acquisition that could allow Betts to return to right field full time while alleviating pressure on an infield mix of Gavin Lux, Miguel Rojas, and Miguel Vargas would make a lot of sense for LA. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have plenty of interesting pitching prospects and young arms that could entice the Reds, such as Nick Frasso, Landon Knack, and Gavin Stone.Mariners: Seattle is another clear fit for India’s services. The Reds and Mariners have gotten together on several deals in recent years, with Cincinnati sending the likes of Luis Castillo, Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker out west while recouping key prospects such as Noelvi Marte and Brandon Williamson who helped to accelerate the club’s rebuilding process. A cut-and-dry buy-sell trade doesn’t make sense here anymore with both sides hoping to contend in 2023, but the Mariners have interesting young arms like Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, and Emerson Hancock who the Reds would surely be interested in acquiring. Meanwhile, second base was a problem for the Mariners in 2023, and while the addition of Josh Rojas should help shore up the position it’s easy to see how India could make sense for the club as a potential centerpiece of a deal should they decide to part with one of their young arms.White Sox: Though not the obvious contenders that the other teams in this tier are, the White Sox are perhaps most desperate for middle infield help of any club with utility players Lenyn Sosa and Romy Gonzalez projected as their starting double-play duo in 2024 as things stand. They also boast one of the most enticing pitching trade chips on the market this offseason in right-hander Dylan Cease, who is controllable for the next two seasons and boasts a 3.54 ERA and 3.40 FIP over the last three seasons with a 30% strikeout rate. While a one-for-one swap of the two players seems implausible given Cease’s front-of-the-rotation potential, India could be an intriguing piece for the sides to build a larger return package around given Chicago’s needs up the middle.

Next Tier Down:

Blue Jays: Toronto’s infield now has significant holes after losing Matt Chapman and Whit Merrifield to free agency. A three-year contract with India would help secure second base for the next three seasons and free up funds for the club to pursue a left-handed outfield bat such as Cody Bellinger or re-sign Chapman, with the team firmly in the middle of their window for contention. Having said that, the Jays need some pitching depth this offseason and have some intriguing young infielders like Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement that they might be interested in giving some run in 2024. After an amazing 2022 season and a terrible 2023, it’s difficult to determine what kind of value Alek Manoah would have in a trade this offseason. Still, it’s plausible that the Reds could be interested in Manoah as a possible change of scenery option.Brewers: The Brewers are in a difficult situation this winter, and it’s likely that they’ll consider trade proposals for Adrian Houser and Corbin Burnes, two righties, as well as shortstop Willy Adames. Of course, Burnes would be a fantastic addition to the Reds, who desperately need a new addition to their rotation. Adames’ potential departure would also open up a spot up the middle, which could be filled by moving Brice Turang to shortstop and acquiring India to play second base. Although on paper the two teams make sense together, it seems unlikely that the division rivals would agree to a deal of this magnitude unless the Brewers decided to go all in on a full-blown rebuild, in which case bringing in a player who is already in his arbitration years like India makes little sense.Tigers: Although Detroit might seem like an odd choice for India’s services, the team managed to finish in second place in the AL Central the previous year, indicating that they may be positioned for more success in the years to come. India has three seasons of team control and is a definite upgrade over Zack McKinstry at second base, even though the Tigers are not expected to be favorites to win the AL Central in 2024. Additionally, the Tigers have a wide range of intriguing young arms to choose from, like Matt Manning and possibly even Alex Faedo, who could be less expensive possibilities than Tarik Skubal, who is a controlled, high-caliber arm that would cost a larger package.

Longer Shots:

Red Sox:

 

The Boston Red Sox have a clear need at second base for the 2024 season, and Jonathan India could be a suitable option to fill that gap. However, the Reds are unlikely to be interested in acquiring an outfielder like Alex Verdugo from the Red Sox, who have an outfield surplus. Additionally, the Red Sox themselves are in need of pitching help this offseason. While it’s not impossible to envision a potential trade centered around mid-rotation veteran Nick Pivetta or a younger arm like Josh Winckoski, the situation becomes more complicated due to the impending arrival of Marcelo Mayer, who, alongside Trevor Story, could potentially push India to the designated hitter (DH) role early on in his tenure with Boston. This scenario could potentially hamper India’s value to the Red Sox.

Moving on to the San Francisco Giants, they already have Thairo Estrada as a capable regular at second base, which complicates the fit between the two teams. However, the Giants have a clear need for offensive production, and adding a young and reliable second baseman like India to their infield mix could allow Estrada to transition into a versatile multi-positional role. Estrada has experience playing shortstop, third base, and both outfield corners in addition to second base. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely that the Giants would be willing to give up enough pitching talent to entice the Reds into making a deal, especially considering their own need for arms this offseason.

As for the Washington Nationals, they are currently in the midst of a rebuilding phase, making them a somewhat questionable match for a player like India, who is in his prime and ready to contribute to a winning team. However, with three seasons of team control, India would likely still be under the Nationals’ control when they are ready to contend in the coming years. Although the Nationals have utilized Luis Garcia at second base recently, India would represent an offensive upgrade over Garcia. Garcia has experience at shortstop and could potentially be moved to another position in the infield to accommodate India at second base. The Nationals also possess several young pitching prospects who could be of interest to the Reds, such as Jake Irvin or Josiah Gray. However, it remains uncertain if the Nationals would be willing to part with a controllable arm at this stage of their rebuilding process.