KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals added a reliable leadoff hitter and middle infielder to join standout shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. on Friday when they acquired second baseman Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds.
In the transaction, the Royals sent right-hander Brady Singer to Cincinnati and also acquired outfielder Joey Wiemer.
The 27-year-old India batted.248 in 2024 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs after winning the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year award. He tied for seventh place in the majors with 80 walks and played in a career-high 151 games. In 341 of his 523 career games, he has batted leadoff.
India is eligible for free agency in 2027 and has a contract worth $5.45 million for the upcoming season.
In 2018, Cincinnati selected India with the fifth overall pick, 13 spots ahead of Singer. They were Florida college teammates.
Since making his debut during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Singer, 28, has consistently been in the Royals starting lineup. In 2024, he pitched a career-high 179 2/3 innings with a 3.71 ERA and went 9-13, helping the Royals secure a spot in the AL wild-card playoffs.
Singer has made 127 appearances, 124 of which have been starts, and is 36-44 with a 4.28 ERA. He will be eligible for free agency in 2027 and arbitration in 2025.
In the July deal that sent pitcher Frankie Montas to Milwaukee, Wiemer and pitcher Jakob Junis were acquired by Cincinnati. The 25-year-old outfielder finished the season with Triple-A Louisville after making two appearances for the Reds.
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