To help keep us Kevins organized, fearless leader Max has us use Slack. We were getting organized on offseason writing, divvying up who wants to write about whom during our "Season in Review" series, and I added my own write-in candidate to review. My candidate drew this response from the esteemed and talented Jeremy Greco:
"LOL"
"Connor, you're a madman"
You've clicked on this article, so presumably you know that I asked to write an article about Jonathan India. He's admittedly an odd candidate to want to talk about, seeing as his season ended after 17 games. Still, I personally had some expectations for him coming into the season that were not met, and I think the Royals did as well. He came into the season as their 2026 starting second baseman, and now, at the end of the year, I wonder if he will even get a major league deal as a free agent.
The Royals acquired India during the offseason before the 2025 season, trading Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds for the second baseman. The Royals had depth at starting pitcher and were looking for a leadoff hitter, so the trade made sense to most observers, myself included.
India struggled in his first season with the Royals, posting a -0.2 fWAR and an 89 wRC+. There was some context to his struggles. He was hit in the face early in the season by an errant pitch, and he also spent most of the year bouncing between the outfield, third base, and second base, excelling at none.
The plan coming into the 2026 season was for India to have less pressure. He would not hit leadoff to begin the season – that role went to Maikel Garcia at first. He would stay at second base exclusively, his least bad defensive position. All India had to focus on was accumulating quality at-bats and lengthening the Royals' lineup.
That didn't happen. India played in 17 games, posting an 81 wRC+, before hitting the injured list on April 20. India then underwent successful surgery on his left labrum on April 28, ending his season before it really had a chance to get going.
The second baseman talked to PJ Green of the Kansas City Star about his injury and his choice to get surgery, revealing that he had been struggling with shoulder subluxations for five years. Quoting here from Green:
His left shoulder, the side the second baseman catches with, would pop out of place. He'd simply pop it back in.
"Sounds psychotic, but just the person I am when I'm on that field," India told reporters Tuesday.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro talked about India's injury as well as his decision to get surgery, stating:
"I think he understood that this was probably the best thing long term. He was going to be a free agent at the end of the year, all those things, and he's been playing hurt for at least the year-plus that we've had him."
I appreciate the tenacity shown by India, but going over this article does raise some questions about the Royals' decision-making process when acquiring him.
What was known about his shoulder problems when the Royals acquired him?
If he had been playing hurt for over a year, should the surgery have been pushed harder last year?
We aren't privy to the medical information they are, and it's a group decision, but how it ended up playing out was disappointing for both the Royals and India. Singer was the Royals' best trade chip after the 2024 season, considering his combination of value and ability to be replaced, and the Royals got negative WAR in return for him across two seasons.
We have the benefit of hindsight on this, but if India has really been dealing with this for five years, it does help explain his lack of power since his rookie season. Maybe this is just a lesson on not procrastinating, or why roughing it out is not worth it, or maybe it was just bad luck on timing. Either way, I'll be very curious about how India's market plays out this offseason. He will be a free agent coming off a disappointing season followed by a lost season. I don't think I'd want to guarantee him a major league deal, but maybe someone will want to take a chance that the shoulder being fixed finally gets him back to the stellar level we saw as a rookie.
The Royals hit worse at second base than I realized this season. The boys in blue had an 89 wRC+ while playing second base. Michael Massey did have a bounce-back season, posting 2.3 fWAR with the majority of it at second base, but there was definitely a lane for another above-average hitter who could play second.
India's absence did not sink the season, but it was one among the many injuries that strained the Royals' depth and found it to be lacking. J.J. Picollo rightly gets a lot of credit for his success with trades, but the India-Singer swap was at the very least a missed opportunity, regardless of whether we think the process was sound or not. If this is the last we see of India in a Royals uniform, then I'll remember him every time I feel my shoulder barking at me to go ahead and get that checked out.
