KC Royals' new arrival listed in 'top players to change teams' this winter

The offseason got off to a hot start for the Kansas City Royals. The team began the winter by re-signing veteran Michael Wacha to the fourth-richest deal in franchise history, and less than three weeks later, they traded starter Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for second baseman Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer. The Royals have fallen relatively quiet since the end of November, but the moves they've already made are still being recognized.

On January 1, MLB.com's Theo DeRosa and Andrew Simon listed "the top players who have changed teams so far this offseason, ranked purely by their expected 2025 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per FanGraphs’ Steamer projections," and India came in tied-16th place with a 2.1 WAR.

"Not far below Singer [ranked 14th] is the man he was traded for (along with outfielder Joey Wiemer)," DeRosa and Simon wrote. "India amassed 3.4 fWAR in his NL Rookie of the Year Award-winning 2021 campaign and hasn't met that mark again since, but his 2024 was better than the previous two seasons. Reluctant to chase pitches and happy to take his walks, India should bring his strong plate discipline to Kansas City to form a fun double-play tandem with Bobby Witt Jr."

Jonathan India slated to be KC Royals' leadoff hitter

In 2024, the Royals tried multiple players in the leadoff spot in their batting lineup, but no one impressed enough to be considered for the permanent role. After starting the season with Maikel Garcia as their leadoff hitter, the Royals gave Adam Frazier a shot before Michael Massey. Tommy Pham took over the role in September, but the team went back to Massey for most of their playoff campaign. By the offseason, it was clear that none of the Royals' internal options were working, and they needed to look externally for a leadoff hitter.

On November 22, 2024, the Royals acquired India from the Reds, along with Weimer, in exchange for Singer. While giving up Singer was unfortunate, the move locked in a permanent solution for Kansas City's leadoff problems, with India slated to bat in the No. 1 spot in 2025.

In 637 plate appearances with the Reds in 2024, India slashed .248./.357/.392 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. He drew a career-high 80 walks, tied for fifth most in MLB.

Going into spring training, the Royals' exact plans for where India will play are unclear, despite their big plans for him at the plate. Massey was the team's everyday second baseman in 2024, so whether the Royals plan to run a platoon situation with him and India remains to be seen, but it's more likely that India will stay at second and Massey will transition to an outfielder/designated hitter.