Recent rumors have been showing that the Toronto Blue Jays are interested in trading for Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India. This would be an interesting move considering the fact that we already have Davis Schneider, Cavan Biggio, and Santiago Espinal manning the second base position, but could this be a valuable move for the Toronto Blue Jays? Let’s go over the facts.
Former Rookie of the Year
Jonathan India has shown signs of being able to be a star player. India won the Rookie of the Year award back in 2021. Through 150 games in 2021 he compiled a .269/.376/.835 slash line with 21 home runs. The Blue Jays would love a bat like this because of their offensive struggles as of the past season. Plus, with that huge on base percentage, he could hit ahead of sluggers such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Bo Bichette and definitely help the Jays score some more runs.
The Regression
Since India’s stellar rookie season, there has been a lot of regression in his game. He has a slash line of .246/.333/.394 with only a 97 OPS+ which means he’s been a below average hitter since his Rookie of the Year campaign. In 2021 India had a 90th percentile batting run value, which is very good. In 2023, it has dropped all the way down to 37th percentile. His struggles really started with a right hamstring injury in 2022, and since then he has not been the same ballplayer. That and many other struggles are contributors to India’s regression from stardom.
The Defense
While India was once a very capable bat, something India has never been is a great defender. Over 338 games at 2B, India has -21 DRS and -23 OAA. This makes him one of if not the worst defender at the position in the sport. With all of these risks it’s questionable as to why the Jays are even considering India, with the depth they have Davis Schneider at the position already who is projected to have a much better season than India according to Baseball Reference.
Conclusion
While Jonathan India has the potential to be a great player, I believe the Jays have a great 2B at the moment in Davis Schneider along with all the depth they have at the position. The Jays are better off targeting an OF, 3B, or DH to fix some major holes in the lineup.