Jonathan India throwing. a ball
The New York Yankees could be in the market for a second baseman during the offseason. With Gleyber Torres set to hit free agency, the Yankees will have moves to make to improve their infield if he departs.
One potential player the Yankees could replace him with is Jonathan India, the former National League Rookie of the Year Award winner in 2021. India has had an up-and-down career since but has an above-league average OPS+ at 104 and could help the Yankees lineup.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named him one of the “most likely” players to be traded, listing the Yankees as a potential fit in a trade.
“Jonathan India was a hot trade chip even last winter, when he was coming off back-to-back down seasons after winning the NL Rookie of the Year in 2021,” Rymer wrote on October 18. “It’s therefore only natural that the 27-year-old’s value was said to be increasing as the trade chatter was ramping back up during the summer. The Reds kept him and got a .750 OPS out of the decision, but it’s still easy to imagine them changing course this winter.
“There will likely be a market for India, and the Reds can see him as part of a surplus. Even if they move him, they’ll still have Elly De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, Ty France, Spencer Steer, Noelvi Marte, Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand in their infield mix.”
Yankees Had Interest in India During Trade Deadline
Earlier in the season, Torres had struggled, and with the injuries the New York Yankees were dealing with, they were viewed as a team that could look to improve their infield at the deadline.
According to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, the Yankees had an interest in India, but the Cincinnati Reds didn’t want to move him.
“The Yankees also have interest in Cincinnati Reds infielder Jonathan India, but the Reds aren’t expected to make him available unless they drop in the National League wild-card race over the next week, according to league sources,” Castillo wrote in July.
With India in a crowded Reds infield, moving him in the winter could now make sense.
Torres Might’ve Priced Himself Out of the Yankees
Torres has impressed during the postseason, giving the New York Yankees a much-needed boost in their lineup.
However, while they need him to play well if they want to win a World Series, that could also leave them without him on the roster next season due to his potential price.
With Juan Soto’s free agency, the Yankees need as much money off the books as possible, which could hurt Torres.
His postseason play has been so impressive that Zach Pressnell of FanSided wrote he’s “pricing himself out of New York.”
“With the Yankees prioritizing Soto, likely offering him a contract with over $550 million attached to it if they bring him back, money may be tight for Brian Cashman and the Yankees. Yes, for the first time in a long time, the Yankees could be facing a shortage of money in free agency after Soto hopefully signs with the team.
“This kind of spending could leave one member of the Yankees on the outside looking in during the offseason,” Pressnell wrote on October 17. “Or, it could leave the Yankees watching one key member of their organization head elsewhere to get the money he deserves.”
If that’s the case, India, who’s set to play on a $5.45 million deal in 2025, would likely be cheaper than Torres on the open market.
