Reds Rumors: Cincy reluctant to trade Jonathan India, but are shopping this pitcher

The Tampa Bay Rays did the Cincinnati Reds a favor on Thursday night. Ahead of the Rays' three-game series with the Reds, Tampa Bay dealt former Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for two prospects and a player to be named later.

With one of the hottest hitters in the league now off to the Pacific Northwest, the Reds' chances of winning the upcoming series in St. Petersburg — and picking up a few games in the NL Wild Card standings — have certainly gone up. Though having a down-year overall, Arozarena was hitting .284/.397/.507 since June 1st.

While Arozarena is now off to Seattle, Jonathan India could be staying put. According to MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Reds remain very reluctant to deal India, who they consider to be the leader of this team.

Reds Rumors: Cincy reluctant to deal Jonathan India

It's going to take a whale of an offer (we hope) in order to pry India away from Cincinnati. Reds fans saw first hand that the front office was very hesitant to move the second baseman this past offseason despite the fact his name came up constantly in numerous trade rumors.

India is having a resurgent season in 2024, and while there's still hope for a playoff push, the Reds would be somewhat foolish to deal the 27-year-old unless they received a massive haul. With India's knowledge of the strike zone, extremely low chase rate, and two more years of team control beyond this season, the Reds are right to be tentative.

Reds Rumors: Frankie Montas could be traded

But another Reds player is supposedly being shopped. The latest Reds rumors, courtesy of Heyman as well, suggest that Cincinnati is actually shopping Frankie Montas ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. Montas agreed to a one-year deal with the Reds this past offseason and was the team's Opening Day starter.

The Reds have enough depth in their farm system to absorb the loss of Montas. Carson Spiers is set to return in the coming weeks, Lyon Richardson and Julian Aguiar are down at Triple-A Louisville, and Brandon Williamson is hopeful to return from a shoulder injury later this season as well.

While a number of Reds rumors have cited relievers like Lucas Sims, Buck Farmer, and Justin Wilson, Montas' name has been tossed about too, and the former Oakland A's starter could be a trade deadline casualty.

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