Who’s winning the Royals-Reds trade? Those players met Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Royals infielder Jonathan India stepped into the box against a longtime friend and college teammate on Tuesday night.
India stood 60 feet, 6 inches away from Cincinnati Reds starter Brady Singer. The former University of Florida teammates headlined a massive offseason trade. And on Tuesday, they crossed paths once again.
This time, India was in Royals blue. And Singer, who began his career in Kansas City, sported Cincinnati red.
“It’s a weird feeling for sure and it’s hard to put into words,” India said. “When you’re on the field, you’re just competing and you’re trying to win for the Royals. But after it’s all settled in, I’ve faced Brady before but not in different uniforms. It definitely a weird feeling, but he did really well tonight.”
India finished 2-for-4 with an RBI single against Singer. But Singer picked up the win against his former team as the Reds earned a 7-2 victory. The two shared a postgame hug in the hallway between clubhouses.
The Royals (29-27) continued to scuffle offensively. They scored both of their runs in the third inning, when the Royals sent seven batters to the plate.
“He was hitting every spot,” India said. “Just vintage Brady. You know, just pitching to weak contact.”
India and Kyle Isbel logged the lone RBIs. The Royals also recorded four of their seven hits in the frame.
However, Reds star Elly De La Cruz matched the production. He belted two home runs to propel the Cincinnati offense. Those homers came in consecutive at-bats, with the longest traveling 451 feet into the Kauffman Stadium fountains.
Reds designated hitter Tyler Stephenson also homered. His third home run this season gave the Reds an early 1-0 lead.
Singer didn’t need much help. He allowed two earned runs and recorded three strikeouts in seven innings. He induced 40 swings and seven whiffs while navigating the Royals lineup that entered averaging 3.33 runs per game.
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“Obviously, he did his job,” Isbel said. “We didn’t get enough runs across tonight and we’re gonna start swinging it better.”
The Royals utilized a bullpen game. Left-hander Daniel Lynch IV started against his 2018 MLB Draft classmate. Lynch allowed one run in 2 ⅔ innings, but the convoy of relief arms faltered down the stretch.
“I have the utmost respect for him so it was fun to get to compete against him,” Lynch said. “I felt good and kind of got out of my mechanics there in the second inning. I was able to get it back and I was happy with the amount of length I was able to give us.”
In the eighth inning, John Schreiber was charged with three runs after issuing three walks and a throwing error.
The Reds (28-28) won the series outright. KC has now dropped 11 of its last 16 games since a seven-game winning streak earlier this month.
“We want to win and when we don’t win, that’s frustrating,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “... We need to be more productive. I don’t think the frustration mounts any more than any other loss.”
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Who won the Royals-Reds trade?
The Royals and Reds got a chance to see their offseason trade in action. Both teams had specific needs after the 2024 campaign. The Reds needed pitching and the Royals desired a leadoff hitter.
“We felt we had starting pitching depth and we needed (a player) like India, an on-base guy,” Quatraro said pregame. “So we felt it was a beneficial trade for both teams.”
In retrospect, the deal has been OK for both sides. Singer is a key piece of the Reds rotation and has looked different on the mound. Meanwhile, India has given the Royals a consistent threat on the basepaths.
While not perfect, the trade allowed different aspects of each team to shine. The Royals replaced Singer in the rotation with left-hander Kris Bubic. It’s proved to be beneficial as Bubic has posted an All-Star worthy campaign.
India has made mistakes in the field. However, his toughness is revered by the Royals and there is hope he can continue to heat up as the season progresses.
What’s next: The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Reds on Wednesday night as rookie sensation Noah Cameron takes the mound. Cameron (1-1, 0.93 ERA) will oppose Reds ace Hunter Greene (4-2, 2.54 ERA) at Kauffman Stadium.
This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 9:20 PM.
