Royals Place Jonathan India On IL With Shoulder Subluxation
The Royals announced that infielder Jonathan India has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 19th, due to a left shoulder subluxation. Infielder/outfielder Nick Loftin has been recalled as the corresponding move.
Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, this is the same shoulder injury that India has battled in the past. On June 13th of 2025, he dove for a ground ball and clearly hurt himself, as seen in this clip from MLB.com. He suffered a subluxation at that time. He didn’t go on the IL for that shoulder but did occasionally miss time for the rest of the year.
India had a subpar season, though it doesn’t seem as though the shoulder injury explains the whole thing. He had a .249/.332/.336 line and 89 wRC+ through that June 13th game, followed by a .219/.315/.355 line and 89 wRC+ after it. He did have an IL stint in that latter section, but it was due to a left wrist sprain. He is out to a rough .167/.310/.313 start so far in 2026.
Whether it’s due to the injuries or not, the Royals surely hoped for more when they acquired India from the Reds ahead of the 2025 season. He slashed .253/.352/.412 with Cincinnati from 2021 to 2024, production which translated to a wRC+ of 108. After his rough 2025, he became a speculative non-tender candidate, but the Royals brought him back by signing him to an $8MM deal for this year.
So far, that investment hasn’t paid off. Ideally, India can get healthy and get back on track, though the next steps are unclear at this point. Per Rogers, India received an injection and will be seeing another doctor this week.
With India out of commission, the Royals will likely use some combination of Michael Massey and Loftin to cover second base. Massey started the season on the IL due to a calf strain and has hit .174/.208/.261 since coming back. That’s in a tiny sample of 24 plate appearances but he also hit .244/.268/.313 for a 57 wRC+ last year, so he hasn’t been in good form for quite a while. Loftin has 438 career plate appearances with a .220/.296/.323 line and 73 wRC+.
The Royals are out to a 7-15 start, tied with the Mets for the worst record in baseball. The team has a combined .218/.296/.339 batting line and 79 wRC+, which places them ahead of only the Reds among big league clubs. Though India has been struggling, it doesn’t appear that subtracting him from the lineup is likely to help matters.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
Players Avoiding Arbitration: 11/21/25
The deadline for teams to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is this afternoon at 4pm CT. Throughout the day, we’ll surely see a handful of arb-eligible players agree to terms with their clubs to avoid a hearing.
These so-called “pre-tender deals” usually, although not always, involve players who were borderline non-tender candidates. Rather than run the risk of being cut loose, they can look to sign in the lead-up to the deadline. Those salaries often come in a little below projections, since these players tend to have less leverage because of the uncertainty about whether they’ll be offered a contract at all.
Under the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement, players who sign to avoid an arbitration hearing are guaranteed full termination pay. That’s a change from prior CBAs, when teams could release an arb-eligible player before the season began and would only owe a prorated portion of the contract. This was done to incentivize teams and players to get deals done without going to a hearing.
All salary projections in this post come via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. This post will be updated throughout the day as deals are announced and/or reported. Salary figures are from The Associated Press unless otherwise noted.
- The Astros signed right-hander Enyel De Los Santos to a one-year deal and outfielder Taylor Trammell to a split deal, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Per Chandler Rome of The Athletic, De Los Santos gets $1.6MM, plus a $100K bonus if he appears in 60 games, while Trammell $900K if in the majors and $500K in the minors. They were projected for $2.1MM and $900K respectively.
- The Athletics announced that they have signed right-hander Luis Medina and left-hander Ken Waldichuk to one-year deals. Medina gets $835K, while Waldichuk comes in at $825K.
- The Braves announced that they have signed infielder Vidal Bruján, infielder Mauricio Dubón, outfielder Eli White and left-handers Joey Wentz and José Suarez for the 2026 season. Bruján’s deal was announced as a split contract; he’ll make $850K in MLB and $500K in the minors. Dubon will make $6.1MM, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post, right around his $5.8MM projection. Suarez gets $900K, per Ari Alexander of 7 News, below his $1.5MM projection. White and Wentz also get $900K salaries.
- The Brewers announced that they have signed first baseman Jake Bauers for 2026. He’ll make $2.7MM, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He was projected for $2MM.
- The Giants have agreed to a one-year deal with right-hander JT Brubaker, per Justice selos Santos of Mercury News. He commands a $1.82MM salary.
- The Guardians have agreed to one-year deals with outfielder Nolan Jones, catcher/designated hitter David Fry and right-hander Matt Festa, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. In a follow-up, Meisel also provides the salary figures. Jones will make $2MM, Fry $1.375MM and Festa $1MM. They were projected for $2MM, $1.2MM and $1MM respectively.
- The Mets and outfielder Tyrone Taylor have agreed at $3.8MM, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, right around his $3.6MM projection.
- The Nationals announced they have signed catcher Riley Adams to a one-year deal. It’s a split deal that pays $1MM in the big leagues and $500K in the minors.
- The Orioles and right-hander Félix Bautista have agreed to a $2.25MM contract, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. He was projected for $2.1MM.
- The Padres announced they signed catcher Luis Campusano to a one-year deal. He’ll make $900K next year, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic. He was projected for $1MM.
- The Phillies have agreed to a split deal with catcher Garrett Stubbs, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Stubbs will make $925K in the majors and $575K in the minors. The major league salary is an exact match for his projection. The Phils announced that they also signed catcher Rafael Marchán. He’ll make $860K, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. He was projected for $1MM.
- The Rangers announced they signed outfielder Sam Haggerty to a one-year deal. It’s a $1.25MM contract.
- The Rays and right-hander Cole Sulser have settled at $1.05MM, per Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Sulser was projected for $1.2MM. According to the AP, it’s a split deal that pays at a $600K rate in the minors.
- The Reds and left-hander Sam Moll have agreed at $875K, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He was projected for $1.2MM. His 2026 deal also has $150K in potential incentives — $50K each for 45, 55 and 65 appearances.
- The Royals and infielder Jonathan India agreed to an $8MM deal. You can read more about that in this post.
- The Tigers and infielder/outfielder Matt Vierling agreed at $3.225MM, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He was projected for $3.1MM. Detroit signed right-hander Beau Brieske at $1.1575MM, per Heyman, right around his $1.3MM projection. The Tigers signed catcher Jake Rogers at $3.05MM, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, right around his $2.9MM projection.
- The Twins signed right-hander Justin Topa to a one-year, $1.225MM deal. MLBTR covered that earlier in this post. The Twins turned down a $2MM club option for Topa, giving him a $225K buyout instead, but he remained under club control via arb. Between the buyout and next year’s salary, he’ll collect $1.45MM. Darren Wolfson of KSTP reported Topa’s 2026 salary. Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic adds that the guarantee is broken down into a $1MM salary in 2026 followed by a $225K buyout on a $5MM mutual option. The buyout can rise to $300K via unspecified incentives.
- The White Sox announced that they have agreed to terms on a $900K deal with outfielder Derek Hill. He was projected for $1MM.
- The Yankees and infielder Oswaldo Cabrera have agreed to a $1.2MM contract, per Jack Curry of Yes Network, an exact match for his projection. The Yanks have also signed right-hander Clarke Schmidt to a $4.5MM deal, per Robert Murray of FanSided, right around his $4.9MM projection.
Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images
Royals, Jonathan India Avoid Arbitration
The Royals have signed infielder Jonathan India to a one-year, $8MM deal for the upcoming season, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. India, projected for a $7.4MM salary by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, had been widely viewed as a non-tender candidate on the heels of a poor first season in Kansas City, but he’ll return and hope to rebound in 2026. He’ll be a free agent next offseason.
India, 29 next month, posted career-worst marks in most categories during his first season as a Royal. The former NL Rookie of the Year was traded to Kansas City alongside Joey Wiemer in a deal that sent right-hander Brady Singer back to Cincinnati. India’s .233 batting average, .323 on-base percentage, .346 slugging percentage, nine home runs and zero stolen bases (in four attempts) were all career-low marks — despite the fact that his 136 games played and 567 plate appearances were both the third-highest totals he’d tallied in five seasons.
Despite those downturns, India posted better-than-average walk, strikeout and contact rates. His 18.7% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career. Unfortunately, he also popped up at the highest rate of his career, hit line-drives at the lowest rate of his career, and continued to post sub-par exit velocity and hard-hit marks.
The move to Kansas City and the spacious Kauffmann Stadium always seemed like a dubious fit for the former first-round pick. India hit .266/.364/.444 at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park during his four years as a Red, compared to just .241/.341/.381 on the road. He hit 54% of his home runs at GABP despite the fact that only 48% of his plate appearances in that time came at home. India homered roughly once every 32 plate appearances at home compared to once every 39 on the road. Statcast ranks GABP as the second most homer-friendly park in the game for right-handed hitters; Kauffman Stadium is 19th.
Kansas City also gave India his first major league experience at positions other than second base, with 146 innings in left field and 149 at third base. (He’d played third base in college and in the minors.) Neither experiment went well. Statcast and Defensive Runs Saved panned his glovework at both spots and at his customary second base, where he’s never graded as even an average defender.
There’s clearly a track record of better results with India, who entered 2025 as a career .253/.352/.413 hitter. A disproportionate amount of his career production, however, came in a rookie season that now looks like an outlier. India was a deserving Rookie of the Year in ’21 when he hit .269/.376/.459 with 21 homers and 34 doubles in 651 plate appearances. But from 2022-24, that production slipped to .247/.343/.393 with 42 homers in 1597 plate appearances.
The Royals are betting on that track record and hoping that he can at least return to his 2023-24 form. There aren’t many positive trend lines on which to base that hope, when looking at his 2025 season, but the Royals believed in India enough to trade a solid mid-rotation starter and apparently haven’t soured on him after the poor season.
India’s return locks him in at second base and/or left field. Maikel Garcia has seized third base as his long-term home with a terrific 2025 breakout showing. Which of those positions India plays more regularly hinges on the remainder of the Royals’ offseason moves. They’ll be in the market for offensive upgrades both via free agency and trade, but keeping India around means they’ll have even fewer resources available to pursue that goal. The Royals’ projected $143MM payroll (per RosterResource) is already higher than last year’s mark.
Poll: The Royals’ Second Base Decision
Just under a year ago, the Royals and Reds made one of the first significant trades of the 2024-25 offseason when Kansas City acquired Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer in exchange for right-hander Brady Singer. The trade made plenty of sense at the time, as the Reds were in need of some reliability in their rotation while the Royals were desperate for offensive upgrades in the lineup. Singer fulfilled his role with the Reds for the most part, pitching to a solid 4.03 ERA in 32 starts. Things haven’t been quite so rosy on the Royals’ side of the equation, as Wiemer did not appear in an MLB game for the organization and India fell well short of expectations.
In 136 games this past year, the 28-year-old India split time between second base, third base, and left field while hitting .233/.323/.346 (89 wRC+). He was essentially a replacement level player, worth 0.4 WAR according Baseball Reference and -0.3 according to Fangraphs. That might sound surprising considering that India was within spitting distance of league average offensively and collected 567 plate appearances, but his defense was atrocious. His -14 Outs Above Average this year was in the first percentile among all qualified fielders, and he drew negative grades at every position he played. His -6 Defensive Runs Saved weren’t quite as ugly but still well below par.
Did India struggle enough that his first year in Kansas City will also be his last? He’s due to go through the arbitration process one final time in 2026, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $7.4MM salary next year. That’s a hefty chunk of change to spend on a replacement level player, especially for a Royals club that doesn’t have much money to spend this winter without first making room in the budget. While Michael Massey‘s 57 wRC+ in 77 games was even more disastrous than India’s 2025 campaign, Massey is projected for a salary of just $2MM next year and is controlled through the 2028 season.
It’s undeniable that India had the better numbers of the two and looking at his advanced metrics creates an argument that he could’ve easily been an average or better hitter with a little luck. His 18.7% strikeout rate was actually the lowest of his career, and while a 9.5% walk rate was below his career norms it was still above league average. The big problems for India were that his BABIP dropped twenty points below his career norms while he managed to slug just nine home runs after being consistently good for 15 to 20 homer power during his time with the Reds.
The good news is that India’s expected numbers were stronger than his actual production, so there’s at least some reason to believe he could bounce back a bit in his age-29 season. Some of that reduction in power figures to be due to the difference between Great American Ballpark and Kauffman Stadium, however, as the Reds play at one of the friendliest stadiums in the majors for homers while the Royals undeniably have a pitcher’s park. Meanwhile, Massey’s season offers little in the way of statistical signs that better days on the way, but it’s still worth noting he was a quality player as recently as last year and his 2025 season was marred by multiple injuries, including an ankle sprain and a broken wrist. Perhaps all Massey needs to turn things around for his age-28 season is better health.
If the Royals decided to stick with both players, they’d been committing nearly $10MM to what would essentially be a second base platoon that was below replacement level in 2025. That’s a big gamble given the club’s limited resources, but there aren’t really any safe options at the club’s disposal. Non-tendering both players would leave the team with a hole and a free agent class somewhat thin on mid-tier infield talent (Willi Castro, Miguel Rojas) isn’t likely to provide a substantial upgrade, leaving them to pursue possible trade candidates like Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman. Non-tendering India would free up the majority of that money while still keeping Massey in house as a potential upside option, but it’s unclear if someone who would be better than India would be available at his price tag anyway. Non-tendering Massey would save a modest amount of money but, given his years of control, would only make sense if the team doesn’t believe he’ll be able to rebound. The non-tender deadline is Friday, giving the Royals just a few more days to make a decision.
How do MLBTR readers think the Royals should address second base this winter? Should they go with India, go with Massey, keep both, or send both packing in search of a new answer? Have your say in the poll below:
What Should The Royals Do About Second Base?
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Non-tender India and put Massey at second base in 2026 alongside an external addition. 31% (1,265)
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Non-tender both India and Massey to find a fully external solution for second base. 29% (1,170)
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Keep both Massey and India and hope for better results in 2026. 23% (936)
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Non-tender Massey and focus on India at second base in 2026. 17% (690)
Total votes: 4,061
Royals Place Michael Wacha On Concussion List
The Royals placed starter Michael Wacha on the seven-day concussion injured list before tonight’s game against the Guardians. The move is retroactive to September 8. Jonathan India is back after a minimal 10-day IL stay for a sprained wrist as the corresponding move.
Wacha was injured in an off-field accident, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers). The Royals believe it’s a minor issue but it will cost him at least one start. Wacha had been lined up for tomorrow. That starter is now to be determined in what’ll probably be a bullpen game.
Kansas City doesn’t have any healthy starters on optional assignment. They could select Spencer Turnbull onto the 40-man roster for a spot appearance, but he’s only made one Triple-A start since signing a minor league deal in late August. Turnbull had allowed more than a run per inning over six Triple-A appearances in the Cubs’ system before that. Wacha is their sixth starting pitcher on the injured list (seventh if one includes Kyle Wright, who is on the 40-man roster but on the minor league IL).
They’re currently down to a four-man group of Michael Lorenzen, Noah Cameron, Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert as they try to hang in the Wild Card mix. Bergert has been pretty good since coming over from San Diego in a deadline trade but got blown up last night (eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings). Cameron is on the bump tonight, while Kolek has already been tabbed for Thursday’s series finale. Lorenzen would be on schedule for Friday’s opener in Philadelphia.
The Royals enter tonight’s game three back of the Mariners for the American League’s final playoff spot. They’d also need to jump the Rangers and Guardians along the way. It feels pivotal that they take at least two of the final three games of their ongoing series in Cleveland — a task that gets quite a bit more difficult without Wacha on the mound tomorrow. The veteran righty carries a 3.45 earned run average across 28 starts and a team-leading 159 innings.
Cole Ragans is at Triple-A Omaha on a rehab stint as he works back from a three-month shoulder injury. Seth Lugo went down with a lower back strain last week. They were already without Kris Bubic for the season. Wacha’s injury seems minor enough that any or all of him, Ragans and Lugo could make it back in the next week or two. It remains to be seen if K.C. can find a way to hang in the playoff picture long enough for that to matter.
Royals Place Jonathan India On Injured List
The Royals announced that second baseman Jonathan India has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 30, with a sprained left wrist. Kansas City activated Jac Caglianone from his own IL stint in a corresponding move. They also finalized the previously announced promotions of catching prospect Carter Jensen and reliever Luinder Avila with the roster expansion.
It’s not clear how long the Royals expect India to be sidelined. Kansas City acquired him from the Reds for Brady Singer over the offseason. They wanted India to play a multi-positional role while serving as a high-OBP bat at the top of the lineup. He hasn’t met either expectation. India struggled in an early-season utility capacity and has been exclusively at second base or designated hitter since the middle of May. He also hasn’t hit much, leading manager Matt Quatraro to drop him from the leadoff spot to sixth or seventh in the batting order this month.
India carries a .232/.324/.342 slash with eight home runs across 532 plate appearances. His plate discipline has been fine, but a career-low .274 average on balls in play hasn’t done him any favors. It’s trending to be the worst season of his five years in the big leagues. India isn’t a great defender, so the below-average offense has left him around replacement level overall. He’s trending towards a non-tender for what’d be his final year of arbitration.
Kansas City will have Adam Frazier and Michael Massey cover second base while India is sidelined. The righty-swinging Nick Loftin could also see some time there against left-handed pitching. Frazier has proven a nice deadline pickup, batting .307 in 33 games since the Royals acquired him from Pittsburgh. Massey and Loftin have had poor seasons. Massey has at least collected hits in five of six games since returning from an ankle sprain that cost him two months, so perhaps he’ll come closer to last year’s league average form in September.
The Royals are off today. They’ll open a three-game series against the Angels tomorrow. Kansas City is three games back of Seattle for the final American League Wild Card spot. They’ve also dropped half a game behind the Rangers, who have won five straight to pull within 2.5 games of the Mariners.
Royals Notes: India, Outfield, Wright
The Royals seem to have avoided what could’ve been a brutal blow this evening when infielder Jonathan India exited the club’s game against the Guardians due to what the club later announced was a bout of right quad tightness. After the game, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) that the tightness India was suffering from was “mild” in nature but that it wasn’t loosening up throughout the game. The plan appears to be for Kansas City to further evaluate India’s status on Sunday, though Quatraro’s framing of the issue offers hope that a trip to the injured list may not be necessary.
India, 28, spent the first four seasons of his career as the regular second baseman in Cincinnati but was traded to the Royals alongside outfielder Joey Wiemer in a deal that brought back right-hander Brady Singer. Since arriving in Kansas City, India has split time between third base and left field while serving as the club’s leadoff hitter. He’s hit just .216/.333/.275 14 games into his Royals career, but his identical 13.3% strikeout and walk ratios showcase the strong plate discipline that the organization sought when they acquired India back in November. Given his previous track record of productivity and his lackluster .256 BABIP, it seems reasonable to expect the results to come with time over a larger sample size.
Those hopes of better offensive days in the future could be put on hold for the time being depending on how the club’s evaluation of India goes tomorrow. Should he require a few days off, or even a trip to the injured list, Maikel Garcia would likely step into his shoes at third base while some combination of Cavan Biggio and Drew Waters could be expected to handle India’s usual reps in the outfield. Speaking of the club’s outfield situation, veteran Mark Canha was placed on the injured list due to adductor strain earlier this week. Fortunately, Rogers notes that this issue has also been described by team officials as a relatively mild one, with Quatraro indicating that Canha should not take much longer than a minimum stay on the shelf due to the issue.
Canha was acquired by the Royals from the Brewers just before the season began after he signed with Milwaukee on a minor league deal but didn’t make the club out of Spring Training. While Canha wasn’t in a full-time role with the Royals prior to his injury, the 36-year-old veteran was making a strong case for more regular playing time as he slashed .357/.471/.500 across his first seven games with the club. Given the Royals’s overall lackluster production from the outfield both this year and last season, it would make plenty of sense for Canha to take on a larger role with the club once he rejoins the roster after his injured list stint is up. In the event that India requires an IL placement of his own, it’s even possible that Canha could fill in for him once the latter is back from his own trip to the shelf.
Sticking with more positive injury news, Rogers reported this evening that Kyle Wright is making progress with his throwing program in extended Spring Training. The right-hander threw two innings earlier this week before following the outing with a bullpen session to reach his pitch count goal. It was Wright’s first time pitching in a game in quite some time, as Wright missed most of the 2023 season and the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. He was expected to be ready to go this spring, but was sidelined at the start of camp by a hamstring strain and has been working his way back ever since. Now that he’s back on the mound, Wright appears to be on solid pace to make his return to the big leagues (and his first start with the Royals since being acquired from Atlanta) sometime next month. Wright’s return would likely push veteran swingman Michael Lorenzen into a bullpen role, assuming the rest of the rotation remains healthy.
J.J. Picollo Discusses Royals Offseason Pursuits, Outfield Mix
A year ago, the Royals had just put the finishing touches on an extension with budding superstar Bobby Witt Jr. that served as a capstone on the busiest and most aggressive offseason the club had put together in years. That strong offseason effort led to an 86-win season and a trip to the ALDS, where they ultimately fell to the AL champion Yankees in four games. After making the playoffs for the first time since they won the World Series back in 2015, the Royals entered this winter with heightened expectations.
The returns of Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen as well as the additions of Jonathan India and Carlos Estevez serve as the foundation of a strong offseason, but comments from owner John Sherman and GM J.J. Picollo relayed by Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star earlier today highlight that the club had bigger hopes for the offseason when it began. Sherman noted that the club made an effort to sign “marquee outfield bats” this winter and are continue to talk with some free agents, while Picollo elaborated further.
“That’s probably the one area in the two years we haven’t been able to reach our goal of getting that (offensive bat),” Picollo said, as relayed by Thompson. “It’s a little disappointing, but we can’t force teams to make trades they don’t want to make. We were active in the free-agent market; we just weren’t able to land the guys.”
Picollo and Sherman are alluding to the club’s failed pursuits of sluggers Jurickson Profar and Anthony Santander, who the club reportedly made two- and three-year offers to respectively before Profar went on to sign in Atlanta for three years while Santander headed to Toronto on a five-year pact. Either of those additions would’ve been a massive upgrade for an outfield mix that’s 79 wRC+ was tied with the White Sox for worst in the American League last year, but an external addition isn’t the only way the club can upgrade its offense in the outfield.
As Picollo notes, the addition of India can improve the offense, and it’s possible some of the club’s infielders can see regular time in the outfield this year as well. Picollo refers to sorting out where the club’s talent will play once the regular season begins as the “biggest challenge” facing the Royals as they head into Spring Training. Both India and Michael Massey are willing to play left field in 2025 and are under consideration for that role, while Maikel Garcia is under consideration for reps in center field as a potential platoon partner for Kyle Isbel. All three of those possible position changes have previously been reported, but Picollo’s comments made clear that a move to the outfield isn’t necessarily guaranteed for any one of those players.
“Jonathan (India) and Michael Massey both said they’re willing to play left field, which is great, but they are both infielders,” Picollo said. “So we need to see them out there in the outfield and see how they move around and figure out what is the best combination for us…it’s going to take time to figure out all the positions, which is different for us because we always valued the defense.”
If defense is the primary concern for the Royals when considering a potential move to the outfield for their infielders, Garcia has a far steeper hill to climb than either India or Massey. Not only is center field higher up on the defensive spectrum than left, but Isbel is one of the league’s most impressive defenders at the position with +10 Outs Above Average. Of course, Isbel’s right-handed complement at the position last year was Dairon Blanco, who turned in -1 OAA at the position and should be much easier for Garcia to surpass. Garcia, for his part, has never appeared in the outfield as a professional but rates well with the glove at third base, with +2 OAA.
It should be much easier for India and/or Massey to prove themselves viable in left. Their primary competition at the position currently appears to be MJ Melendez, who was among the league’s worst defenders in left field last year with a -6 OAA that ranked in just the ninth percentile among qualifying fielders. Neither India nor Massey has significant experience in the outfield, but both rank as average to plus defenders at second base and it’s easy to imagine at least one of them being an upgrade defensively over Melendez in left.
One other note from Picollo’s comments today that Thompson relays is that the Royals “would’ve liked” to add another left-handed pitcher to their roster this offseason. With southpaws Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic both already in the a rotation mix that runs six pitchers deep, it seems likely that any such addition would come in the bullpen. Angel Zerpa, Sam Long, Daniel Lynch IV, Noah Cameron, and Evan Sisk are the club’s left-handed options currently on the 40-man roster, though of that group only Zerpa and the out-of-options Long currently appear to be in line for a spot on the Opening Day roster. It wouldn’t be hard for the club to add a veteran arm to that mix even at this stage of the offseason, with Drew Smyly, Andrew Chafin, Jalen Beeks, and Ryan Yarbrough among the southpaws who remain available on the free agent market.
Jonathan India, Michael Massey Willing To Play Left Field For Royals
Jonathan India spent the vast majority of his tenure with the Reds playing second base. Michael Massey has also been a primary second baseman throughout his first three seasons with the Royals. Now that India and Massey both play for Kansas City, Royals manager Matt Quatraro will have to be creative to get them both in the lineup. That could involve some platooning (Massey bats left-handed and India bats righty) and each spending some time at DH, but Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic suggest a third possibility: the outfield. According to Rosenthal and Sammon, India and Massey are both willing to try their hands at left field next season.
India has never played a defensive position other than second base in his career. He prepared for a multi-positional role with the Reds in 2024 when it looked like the team would have a logjam in the infield, but Cincinnati’s infield depth quickly diminished, and India ended up playing more second base than he had in any season since his rookie campaign. Massey has a couple of additional positions on his defensive resume, but that’s little more than a technicality. He played one game at third base in his rookie season and one inning in center field earlier this year.
Although second base is the position they both know best, neither has ever graded out as a particularly valuable defender at the keystone. However, both were above-average hitters in 2024. India showed off excellent plate discipline (12.6% walk rate, 108 wRC+), while Massey made tons of contact and hit for above-average power (.190 ISO, 102 wRC+). So, one can see why the Royals would like to get their bats in the lineup, even if it’s not at their natural position. Rotating between India and Massey in the DH spot is one way to accomplish that, but it’s not the ideal solution. For one thing, the Royals presumably want to keep the DH spot open for Salvador Perez on days when Freddy Fermin is catching. Furthermore, general manager J.J. Picollo would surely like to maintain as much flexibility as possible as he continues to look for upgrades to the lineup. Having some DH reps to work with could help him land a more impactful bat.
Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported earlier today that the Royals are looking for another hitter who can play the infield and the outfield. Yet, if India or Massey (or both) could be that guy, perhaps Picollo can focus on landing the best possible bat rather than prioritizing defensive flexibility. This team could certainly use the offensive boost. While the Royals pitching staff led the team to the playoffs in 2024, their hitters ranked 13th in runs scored, 14th in OPS, and 20th in wRC+. Their only notable addition to the lineup so far has been India.
When it comes to further additions, Rosenthal and Sammon suggest the Royals would prefer a left-handed bat. They mention Josh Rojas and Adam Frazier as two possibilities on the free agent market. However, neither Rojas nor Frazier has been an above-average hitter over the last two years. Perhaps, then, the Royals are more likely to turn to the trade block for an upgrade. Previous reports have suggested they’re looking for a middle-of-the-order bat on the trade market, although it’s not clear to whom that might refer. Once again, the more flexibility this team can get from guys like India and Massey, the more potential targets they can pursue in a trade.
MLBTR Podcast: Yusei Kikuchi, The Aggressive Angels, And The Singer/India Trade
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Angels having an agreement in place with Yusei Kikuchi (2:00)
- The Royals trading Brady Singer to the Reds for Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer (10:30)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- For the Juan Soto sweepstakes, will agent Scott Boras just ask each club for its best offer? Or tell each club what others are offering to try to spur a bidding war? (20:45)
- The Athletics are reportedly trying to have a $100MM payroll in 2025. Please come up with a plan to help them spend that money. (25:05)
- It seems that third base is going to shape the destiny of the 2025 Mariners. How soon will they get over themselves and sign Alex Bregman or another top free agent? (29:40)
- What do you think of the Nationals‘ decision to non-tender Kyle Finnegan? (34:15)
- What do you make of the recent reports that the Tigers and Tarik Skubal discussed an extension but didn’t get close? (38:20)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Rays’ Stadium Plans, Diamond Sports, And Some Offseason Rumors – listen here
- Roki Sasaki, Gerrit Cole’s Non-Opt-Out, And Cardinals Rumors – listen here
- Breaking Down The Top 50 Free Agents List – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!