After a playoff breakthrough in 2024, the Kansas City Royals are reportedly trying to make a significant move to keep the momentum going for 2025.
The Royals have identified Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India as a trade target, according to C. Trent Rosecrans and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Any deal could potentially involve Royals pitcher Brady Singer, whom the Reds have interest in.
An India-Singer swap would make sense for both teams. The Royals had a hole at second base last season, and India would fill it nicely. The 2021 NL Rookie of the Year hit .248 with 15 home runs and 13 stolen bases for the Reds in 2024 and still has two more seasons before he is eligible for free agency. He has openly spoken of his desire to play for a winner, and the Royals are certainly closer to fulfilling that label than the Reds are right now.
Singer, a former first-round pick, had a nice season in 2024, posting a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts for Kansas City. He has yet to find a high level of consistency at the MLB level, but he, too, has two more years of team control left. The Royals have the rotation depth to make such a move without losing too much, especially after re-signing Michael Wacha to open the offseason.
The Royals went 86-76 last season and knocked the Baltimore Orioles out of the playoffs in the AL wild-card series. They were competitive against the eventual AL champion New York Yankees in a four-game loss in the ALDS as well, so it is easy to see why they appear willing to go for it.