Pretty wild considering he was the 1st legitimate piece to this rebuild.
And now it’s here and they’ve out-rebuilt the original rebuild.
There’s a lot more going on but that’s a pretty simple way to start.
Reaction #1 - That’s good rebuilding.
Elly and Matt McClain have been superb in their debuts while India stalls from a banged-up 2022.
Problem is the Reds need pitching.
They do not need infielders at this point.
They’ve got a great mix of young guys and then extremely young guys.
At 26 years old, India’s technically Old Balls compared to some of his teammates.
The urgency to get that pitching is much higher than I thought.
Does that mean bad internal news for Hunter Greene or Nick Lodolo?
Or is Matt McClain THAT good?
Or do the Reds simply think the timing meets the circumstance perfectly?
It certainly feels way too early to move India but I don’t make these decisions professionally.
To me, he’s a top-10 2B when healthy and you’ve already witnessed his ceiling.
That’s not easy to replace in any traditional capacity.
There’s plenty of replacement value available.
There’s a huge need within the pitching staff.
The Central is ripe for the taking this season and the Reds have won back their fanbase.
Plenty of reasons to be aggressive and take advantage of this moment.
There’s just a small voice that says this is too aggressive.
Too much momentum in the Reds narrative to hit the brakes much less even slow down.
Under that mindset, you have to feel good if you even remotely give a shit about the Reds.
Sure this could backfire tremendously.
That duration of salary projection is what drives the value to so many clubs, cheap owners be damned.
So while he may be down from 2021 levels, the overall package is still incredibly appealing.
My only pause is that he might be more valuable in the offseason.
So traditionally, the most ideal trade partners wouldn’t be limited to 2023 contenders.
In fact I’d take the complete opposite approach.
Find partners that value the 3.5 years of control and you should get a much better return in Cincinnati.
The Mariners and White Sox jump to the top of the list.
This is where things get thin trying to match suitors.
The broader point is that Jonathan India is a very fine 2nd baseman with 3.5 years of control left.
And for Reds fans - you’ve got a great recent track record with the Castilla and Mahle deals.
Emotions aside, you’ve been pretty good at moving big league talent for depth.
Now the big difference is you want depth at the MLB level and that shit’s not easy.
Otherwise you wouldn’t have to dangle the 2021 Rookie of the Year.
He gets very few save opportunities relative to other dominant closers.
He’s awesome and will be one of MLB’s best relievers for the next 3-5 years.
It would be absolutely moronic to ignore this opportunity:
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