Reds quiet trade talks with surprise Jonathan India contract extension

Reds fans, you can finally put the trade talks to bed! According to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Jonathan India and the Reds have agreed to a two-year contract extension. India will reportedly earn $3.8 million in 2024 and $5 million in 2025. The contract also contains escalators that allow India to make up to an additional $2.05 million. India and the Reds will no longer be subject to an arbitration hearing.

This will be welcome news for much of the Reds fanbase who've been beating their head against a wall all offseason after hearing trade rumor, on top of trade rumor about India being dealt.

There are others within the fanbase who'll surely be frustrated by this latest news, as it would appear as though Cincinnati has way too many infielders on the roster. In addition to India, the Reds now have Jeimer Candelario, Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain. That's a lot of mouths to feed.

Reds quiet trade talks with surprise Jonathan India contract extension

There's been talk, however, about giving Jonathan India more reps at both first base and potentially allowing the former first-round draft pick to try his hand in the outfield. India's defensive metrics have been woeful since his major league debut, but they hit an all-time low in 2023.

But the intangibles that India brings to the table are second to none. India is well thought of by his teammates and manager David Bell. This contract extension will virtually guarantee that India will be on the top step for nearly every single one of this teammate's at-bats.

This is, however, just a two-year contract extension. When it expires after the 2025 season, India will still be under team control for one more year, and can enter free agency after the 2026 season. Though the contract extension lessens the likelihood of a trade, espeically this season, it does not eliminate it altogether.

But for now, it would seem as though the Cincinnati Reds are quite comfortable going into spring training without the distracting rumors that plagued the clubhouse for the past several months. This will certainly be a weight lifted of the back of India and this Reds team as a whole.