India is supposedly “not going to be available” unless the Reds are eliminated from the playoff race this week. Nonetheless, the Yankees have expressed interest, and they will share some of the blame if a transaction falls through. Ultimately, the Reds’ position on the periphery of the Wild Card competition stems partly from their July opening sweep of the Yankees.
Disgruntled supporters often complain that it is useless to target contact bats and that the Yankees should place more balls in the stands. While that is undoubtedly the case, bringing in a legitimate leadoff hitter ahead of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge would be beneficial as opposed to the team’s current dreck, who is ranked 27th in MLB at that position. India has some power (he blasted 21 home runs in his Rookie of the Year campaign and 17 in 2023), but his greatest strength is in his OBP; last summer, he paired a.275 average with a.377 on-base percentage.
He’s a winning ballplayer who would give the Yankees a healthy dose of peskiness. He’s also a walk-taker (94th percentile) with a sharp eye who never chases (99th percentile). Between now and the deadline, all that’s left to do is support the Reds fervently.
The Yankees might not believe they need a starting pitcher with Clarke Schmidt reportedly returning … someday, but you can never have enough pitching. Any trade is going to be inflated in cost in this seller’s market, but it’s easier to obtain a rental than it is to add a top-line arm like Garrett Crochet for multiple seasons.
