3 reasons why trading Jonathan India makes absolutely zero sense

Most of the Cincinnati fanbase have probably heard the latest Reds rumors that Jonathan India could be traded before the August 1st deadline. The Reds, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, are said to be seeking a young, controllable starting pitcher in return.

There is merit to the idea as the Cincinnati Reds have seen as enormous influx of talent make it to the big leagues this season. Matt McLain, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, and Elly De La Cruz are all on the active roster.

So it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that India, the elder statesman of the infield at age 26, has seen his name pop up in trade rumors. But quite frankly, these latest Reds rumors make absolutely no sense.

1. Reds rumors: Trading Jonathan India while in the playoff race makes zero sense.

Do I think that the Cincinnati Reds should look to trade Jonathan India prior to August 1st? Not at all. India has proven time and time again that he is a leader in the clubhouse and the heartbeat of this time. While his play can be questioned at times, he brings an intangible to the table that many players can't.

That doesn't mean I believe Cincinnati should hold tightly to India and not let him go. Baseball is a business, and with so many young infielders (of which India's a part of), somebody will have to find a new position or be traded. But this should be a discussion for the offseason.

The Reds are trailing the Milwaukee Brewers in the division and about to go into the lion's den this week with three games against the Brew Crew. At 55-46, the Reds trail the Brewers by a half-game in the NL Central, but are atop the Wild Card standings.

Essentially if the season ended to day, the Reds would be hosting a home playoff series for the first time since 2012. Why in the world would Nick Krall and the Reds front office want to mess with a good thing?

2. Reds rumors: Cincinnati does not need another young, controllable starter.

Do the Cincinnati Reds need starting pitching at the trade deadline? If they hope to make some noise in the postseason, you could make the argument that they could. It would also greatly help out their exhausted bullpen to have another reliable arm that could give David Bell six-plus innings.

But with Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo on their way back, are the Reds in dire straits? I'd argue they're not. If Tejay Antone makes his return later this summer, that's another arm to add to the Reds relief corps as well.

Furthermore, let's lot at this with the long lens, shall we? Greene is locked up for the foreseeable future after signing a contract extension this past spring. Lodolo doesn't become a free agent until after the 2027 season. Graham Ashcraft, though he debuted last season as well, won't reach free agency until after 2028.

That's 60-percent of the Reds rotation under team control for at least another four years. This season, Andrew Abbott and Brandon Williamson made their debut. Both of those players will under team control for quite sometime moving forward.

On the farm, Cincinnati has Connor Phillips knocking on the door along with Christian Roa. Chase Petty is making a name for himself and so is Lyon Richardson. The Reds also drafted two college pitchers in Round 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft that the club expects to contend for a spot in the starting rotation.

I know the old adage is that a team can never have too much pitching, but by my count, that's 11 potential starters that could make it to the major leagues within the next year or two. Do the Reds really need to make it 12?

While it's true that not every single one of these prospects will make it to The Show or live up to the hype, the Cincinnati Reds have a proven major league talent on a contending team in Jonathan India. With so much young, controllable pitching talent, I'm not sure it makes any sense to add another arm at the moment.