KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals acquired second baseman Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, adding a reliable pinch-hitter and center fielder to play alongside star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. .
As part of the deal, the Royals also acquired outfielder Joey Wiemer while sending right-hander Brady Singer to Cincinnati.
The 27-year-old Indian was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2021 and hit .248 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in 2024. He appeared in a career-high 151 games and scored 80 walks on balls, tied for fifth in the majors. . He led in 341 of his 523 career games.
Under contract for $5.45 million next season, India is eligible for free agency in 2027.
India was drafted fifth overall by Cincinnati in 2018, 13 spots ahead of Singer. They were college teammates at Florida.
The 28-year-old singer has been a regular in the Royals’ starting rotation since debuting during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He went 9-13 with a 3.71 ERA in a career-best 179 2/3 innings in 2024, helping the Royals earn an AL playoff berth.
Singer is 36-44 with a 4.28 ERA in 127 appearances, including 124 starts. He is eligible for arbitration in 2025 and free agency in 2027.
Wiemer was acquired by Cincinnati along with pitcher Jakob Junis in the July trade that sent pitcher Frankie Montas to Milwaukee. The 25-year-old outfielder appeared in two games for the Reds and finished the season with Triple-A Louisville.
