Royals Could Trade For Reds Superstar To Solve Biggest Weakness, Per Insiders

Could these two Central teams link up for a blockbuster deal?

Jul 29, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; The helmet and sliding glove of Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (not pictured) sits on first base during a stop in play in the eighth inning in the game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Bobby Witt Jr. is a phenomenal baseball player. But he can't win a World Series by himself.

The Kansas City Royals found this out the hard way in 2024 when Witt's postseason slump coincided with a speedy American League Division Series defeat against the New York Yankees. The bottom half of Kansas City's lineup was akin to a black hole all season, and it stung them in the playoffs.

With Witt batting second all season, a constant issue for the Royals was bringing their best hitter to the plate with no one on base in front of him. In the playoffs, the Royals had 36-year-old outfielder Tommy Pham, who was waived by the St. Louis Cardinals in August, batting leadoff.

One solution to that issue for the Royals would be to trade for a leadoff hitter from a team with too many position players to house them all. Recently, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic proposed the Cincinnati Reds as a trade partner for Kansas City, naming second baseman Jonathan India and utility man Spencer Steer as possible targets.

"Improvement at the leadoff spot may help the issue. The Royals ideally want a better version of Garrett Hampson, a right-handed batter who plays center field, second base and shortstop," the authors said.

"Among the players who might fit are Jonathan India and Spencer Steer (trade) and Jurickson Profar (free agent). They have some flexibility with the position. Michael Massey and Maikel Garcia can play the outfield."

India, 27, was the 2021 National League Rookie of the Year, but hasn't quite had the same impact since putting up 4.1 WAR and a 116 OPS+ that season. He's more of a contact hitter than a power bat, though, so park-adjusted stats like OPS+ and WRC+ might undervalue him because he plays in the league's most homer-friendly ballpark.

Meanwhile, Steer, 26, is a more consistent power threat, having hit 43 home runs in his two full big-league seasons. He's struggled to find a full-time position, shifting between left field and the corner infield spots, and his OPS dipped from .820 in 2023 to .721 in 2024.

It's easy to see why the Reds might be willing to trade from their logjam of young position players to offload one onto a needy team like the Royals. The question is whether or not Kansas City believes either India or Steer could the the solution they need at the moment.

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