Just less than a year ago, the Royals and Reds made one of the first major trades of the 2024-25 offseason, when Kansas City acquired Jonathan India and Joey Wimmer exchange for right hand Brady Singer. The trade made sense at the time, as the Reds’ rotation needed some reliability and the Royals desperately needed an offensive upgrade to their roster. Singer has mostly fulfilled his role with the Reds, posting a 4.03 ERA in 32 starts. Things weren’t that rosy on the Royals’ side, as Wimmer didn’t appear in the organization’s MLB games and the Indians performed well below expectations.
In 136 games last year, the 28-year-old Indian hit .233/.323/.346 (89 wRC+) while switching between second base, third base and left field. He’s essentially a backup-level player, with a WAR of 0.4 according to Baseball Reference and -0.3 according to Fangraphs. This may sound surprising considering the Indians’ offense was about as good as league average and got 567 plate appearances, but his defense was abysmal. His -14 shutouts this year were above average, tops among all qualified outfielders, and he had a negative grade at every position he played. His -6 defensive runs rating, while not that ugly, is still well below par.
Has India struggled enough that his first year in Kansas City will also be his last? He will undergo arbitration proceedings for the final time in 2026, and MLBTR writer Matt Swartz projects his salary next year at $7.4MM. It’s a big change for a player at a different level, especially for a Royals club that won’t have much money to spend this winter without first making room in the budget. although michael masseyA wRC+ of 57 in 77 games is even more disastrous than India’s 2025 season, with Messi’s salary expected to be just $2MM next year and controlled until the 2028 season.
There’s no denying that India has the better numbers of the two, and looking at his advanced metrics, an argument can be made that he could easily be an average or better batsman with a bit of luck. His 18.7% strikeout rate was actually the lowest of his career, and while his 9.5% walk rate was below his career standards, it was still above league average. The biggest problem facing the Indians is that his BABIP is 20 points below his career standard, and he hit only nine homers despite consistently hitting 15 to 20 homers during his time with the Reds.
The good news is that the Indians’ projected numbers were stronger than his actual performance, so there’s at least some reason to believe he can bounce back in his age-29 season. However, part of the drop in power numbers is due to the difference between Great American Ball Park and Kauffman Stadium, as the Reds hit home runs in one of the major leagues’ friendliest stadiums, while the Royals undoubtedly own the pitcher’s park. Messi’s season, meanwhile, doesn’t offer many statistics to suggest better days are to come, but it’s still worth noting that just last year he was a quality player while his 2025 season has been marred by multiple injuries, including a sprained ankle and a broken wrist. Maybe all Messi needs to turn things around in his age-28 season is better health.
If the Royals decide to keep both players, they’ll be investing nearly $1B in a second base platoon, which is essentially below 2025 replacement level. It’s a big gamble given the club’s limited resources, but the club doesn’t really have any safe options. If neither player tenders, the team will be left with a hole and some middle infield talent in the free agent class (willy castro, Miguel Rojas) are unlikely to provide substantial upgrades that would allow them to pursue possible trade candidates, e.g. Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman. Not bidding for India would free up much of the money while still retaining Messi as a potential upside option, but it’s unclear if anyone better than India will be found at his price. Not tendering Messi would save a small amount of money, but given his years of control, it would only make sense if a team doesn’t believe he can bounce back. The non-tender deadline is Friday, leaving the Royals with just a few days to make a decision.
How do MLBTR readers think the Royals should address their second base situation this winter? Should they choose India, choose Messi, keep both, or package the two to find a new answer? Have your say in the poll below:
