It’s not everyday that you see a “baseball trade”. This is a trade where both teams made a move that truly benefits both parties involved and was designed to help make each team better in their own respective ways.

The Cincinnati Reds traded second baseman Jonathan India and outfielder Jason Wiemer to the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Brady Singer. This trade helps fit a need that each team had and should only benefit both parties going forward. Let’s take a look as to why this trade was so beneficial.

Brady Singer Bolsters the Reds

Everyone wants to talk about the Seattle Mariners starting rotation and deservedly so. The Mariners had the best rotation in baseball, as they posted the lowest ERA in baseball with 3.38. However, what needs to be talked about more is the Kansas City Royals rotation.

They finished second in ERA (3.55) and had two pitchers finish in the top five in AL CY Young voting (Seth Lugo, Brady Singer). The Royals dealt from a position of strength and the Reds managed to pluck from that pool of talent to fit a need.

The Reds rotation finished middle of the pack in ERA (4.09), but there are bright spots. Hunter Greene had a monstrous career season, posting a 2.75 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Andrew Abbott is young and they also boast Nick Lodolo in this rotation. While it’s not bad, it needed more. That’s where Singer comes into play.

Singer finished the year with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. There are a lot of good things he did during the regular season. He finished with 170 strikeouts and 8.52 K/9. Also, he finished in the 64th percentile for walks percentage.

Singer saw his velocity tick up on all his pitches. Also, he went on the throw his fastball much more this season, making his changeup his least thrown pitch. His sinker and slider became a weapon, seeing his batting average against improve when throwing those pitches from the season before. Singer was excelling at getting players to whiff more on a sinker as well and it became his best putaway pitch.

The 28 year old right handed pitcher becomes a great weapon for the Reds arsenal. Newly appointed manager Terry Francona should be thrilled.

Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbot, Brady Singer and Nick Lodolo give the Reds a solid four headed monster in the rotation.

The Royals Need a Bat

The Royals dealt from a position of strength.  As mentioned above they had the second best ERA among starters. Cole Ragans in the ace. Seth Lugo finished second in CY Young voting. The club just extended Michael Wacha. They have pieces. But you have to give to get and this is why this is a great baseball trade.

It was only a matter of time before India was traded, as his name has been floated around in trade rumors for quite some time. This helped fill a need, as the Royals need a bat in the lineup. During the 2024 season, the Royals finished 10th in average, 12th in slugging percentage, and 14th in OPS.

They had super start short stop Bobby Witt Jr lead the way and veteran catcher Salvador Perez was right behind him. But they need more behind those guys. That’s where India can provide a jolt.

India finished the 2024 season with a slash line of .248/.357/.392/.750. It was his highest OPS since his first season in the league. He did have 15 home runs and 85 RBI and did manage to steal some bags.

India has good discipline at the plate. He finished in the 98th percentile for chase percentage and 81st percentile for whiff percentage. He does a tremendous job of drawing walks, finishing in the 97th percentile. That’s a tremendous asset at the plate and for a team that needs a bat.

The infield defense could see a boost as well. Defensively the infield got quite the boost, especially at the second base position. Pasquantino, Witt Jr, and India form a very nice infield. Add the bat to the mix, and the team is in much better position to succeed.

Reality is, this trade benefits both parties.

The Trade is Great For Both Sides

This is a great baseball trade. Both teams managed to execute a trade that helped fit a need. Each team is getting a quality talent at the MLB level and can play immediately. It’s going to be great to see how this trade works for both sides. The former Gators will be something to monitor with their new clubs and we can circle back around this when the season starts.