Mark Feinsand reported on Monday that the Reds were willing to trade Jonathan India for a young, controllable starter.

The Reds have the luxury of trading a player like India, who won the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year award, due to the numerous emerging stars they have in the infield. Just in 2023, the Reds have called up Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and still have Noelvi Marte in Triple-A, the star shortstop from the Luis Castillo trade, who is batting .324/.364/.515/.879 in Louisville.

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Meanwhile, India is having an average 2023 season, batting .251/.338/.411/.749 with 14 home runs, 51 RBI, and a 98 OPS+ through 100 games. However, it is a down year for India, who recorded a 116 OPS+ in his rookie year, and a 92 OPS+ in his injury-shortened 2022 season.

With a slew of infield talent, the Reds have the luxury of waiting for the right trade partner. As mentioned above, they’re looking for a young, controllable starter in return, who would join a rotation with rookies Andrew Abbott (2.10 ERA) and Brandon Williamson (4.60 ERA), plus sophomores Graham Ashcraft (5.64 ERA) and Hunter Greene (3.93 ERA).

As of now, there are no known teams connected to India. Teams that fit Feinsand’s description are the Cleveland Guardians, Miami Marlins, and Seattle Mariners, all of which have talented, young starters, and are currently in the playoff race.

While the Mets weren’t mentioned above, adding India would be a smart move for multiple reasons. India has always been a bat-first player, and there’s no reason to think he can’t return to his 2021 form. He’s recorded the best average exit velocity (89.5 mph) and hard-hit percentage (39.3%) of his career in 2023, while lowering his strikeout rate every season. Plus, there are reasons to believe India has run into bad luck, as his BABIP is only .286 this season.

The most salivating part of adding India is his team control. The second baseman isn’t a free agent until 2027, and provide the Mets will another offensive weapon for years to come. If Mark Canha or Tommy Pham are traded before the August 1 deadline, the Mets could shift Jeff McNeil to the outfield, leaving second base open for India.

The biggest hurdle for the Mets, however, is their depth at starting pitching. The only young, controllable starters the Mets have are David Peterson and Tylor Megill, who are both having their worst pro seasons yet. They could offer Dominic Hamel or Mike Vasil, but those two haven’t thrown a pitch in MLB, and it’s unsure if the Reds would take a gamble on one of them. David Peterson comes to mind as well, but the 27-year-old has a 6.33 ERA in 2023 and was recently shifted to the bullpen after recording an ERA over 8 as a starter.

Trading for India is more of a pipe dream than a reality, but it fits into the Mets’ long-term plan. (It doesn’t hurt his dad is a die-hard Mets fan.) The team needs another offense threat, and why not add Pete Alonso‘s former teammate from Florida? They don’t have a Bryce Miller, Logan Allen, or Edward Cabrera at their disposal to trade, but that shouldn’t prevent them from at least calling Nick Krall to make an offer.