Royals acquire second baseman Jonathan India from Reds for right-hander Brady Singer

The Kansas City Royals acquired second baseman Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds on Friday, adding a dependable leadoff hitter and middle infielder 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 India was the NL Rookie of the Year in 2021 and batted .248 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs in 2024. He played in a career-best 151 games and drew 80 walks, tied for fifth most in the majors. He has batted leadoff 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 his debut in 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 wild-card playoff berth.

Singer is 36-44 with a 4.28 ERA in 127 appearances, including 124 starts. He's 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 played in two games for the Reds and ended the season with Triple-A Louisville.