The Kansas City Royals' 2025 season is not over yet. They have won seven of their last 11 heading into Tuesday's action to jump the Cleveland Guardians in the standings. They are four games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, leaving an outside chance at a run. But if they do not make the playoffs, there should be some change in KC this winter. The Royals should trade Jonathan India this offseason after a disappointing campaign.
The Royals traded for India from the Cincinnati Reds in November, giving up starting pitcher Brady Singer. India has posted a .673 OPS in Kansas City, while Singer has 11 wins and a 4.06 ERA. Cincy won the trade, as they hunt down the Mets for the final NL Wild Card spot. Kansas City should fix the problem and trade India away before he walks for free.
India's struggles cannot be chalked up to moving from a hitter-friendly park in Cincinnati to a pitcher-friendly park in Kansas City. At Kauffman Stadium this year, he has a .257/.347/.374 slash line, good enough for a .721 OPS. But on the road, his .213/.308/.322 for a .630 is not up to par. An easy excuse for the poor season does not pass the sniff test.
Still, the Royals should trade India, as his arbitration case will likely not be kind to their payroll. Bobby Witt Jr's contract is bumping up in pay by $7 million, Seth Lugo's extension is not cheap, and they need improvements. For a small-market team like the Royals, picking up prospects for players they are unlikely to sign long-term is the smart move.
The Royals have three solid starters for 2026 in Cole Ragans, Lugo, and Noah Cameron. They also have a superstar shortstop in Witt and a slugging first baseman in Vinnie Pasquantino. India should not be part of the plan.
Who would call the Royals for Jonathan India?
The Minnesota Twins are a perfect fit for India in 2026. They traded away many of their valuable pieces at the trade deadline with no plan to be good in 2026. But they will need professional players in their system while a lot of those pieces develop. India can play second base, third base, and left field. The Royals won't ask for a top prospect back for him, and they could even flip him at the trade deadline for a better prospect.
The Royals should make this trade before the free-agency frenzy that usually takes off at the Winter Meetings. They would free up some space to spend on relief pitchers or an extra infielder ahead of the 2026 campaign. Keeping Mike Yastrzemski also becomes a possibility if they trade India.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be looking to replace Ke'Bryan Hayes at third base and improve their offense in the offseason. India could come in to do both of those things for an anemic offense in Pittsburgh. They do not have a top prospect breaking down the door to play third, so bringing in India to bridge the gap for a year could help the club.
India is not a great defender with a -14 outs above average across three positions this year with the Royals. The Milwaukee Brewers are proving that a small-market team needs to play defense and run the bases perfectly to win games. India did not bring that to the Reds and has not brought that to the Royals. That's why a true small-market contender like Milwaukee or the Detroit Tigers is not in consideration.
The Royals need to improve their team to take advantage of Bobby Witt Jr's prime. That includes trading Jonathan India away this offseason to give the front office more money to spend in free agency.
