Cincinnati Reds 2B Jonathan India to 'go with flow' amid winter meetings trade rumors

When baseball’s winter meetings open this week in Nashville trade rumors and players figure to start flying coast to coast again during the industry’s hottest period for talks and substance this side of the summer trade deadline.

All of which probably means two of the words most commonly uttered in relation to the Cincinnati Reds this week will be Jonathan India — just like at the trade deadline.

Reds Elly De La Cruz Elly De La Cruz is ready to play wherever the Reds need him in 2024

Reds offseason moves Cincinnati Reds' Nick Krall on possible Trevor Bauer return: 'Don't see that as an option'

Reds pitching news Derek Johnson explains Nick Martinez's fit and the Reds' upcoming rotation battle

Jonathan India knows better than most what the winter meetings this week in Nashville mean for him.

Trade rumors. Uncertainty.

And if it’s anything like it was at the end of July, it means sweat, stress and alone time to process.

So how’s he preparing for the big week?

“I go with the flow,” said the Cincinnati Reds 2021 Rookie of the Year.

What a difference four months make.

“That was just because it was my first time going through it,” India said of the day he spent out of the lineup and rare day he wasn’t available to speak publicly when his name surfaced in reports of trade talks with teams such as the Chicago White Sox.

“It was hard for me to hear that,” he said. “But at the end of the day it’s more social media stuff. It’s more publicity than anything.

“I had it all season. There’s nothing I could do about it.”

Besides, he has three good reasons beyond that experience to chill about it this time around — despite a Reds infield glut leading teams to believe they can nab him in a trade:

Reds offseason 'Everyone knows we’re supposed to be good.' The Reds are embracing new expectations

Reds free agent signings Cincinnati Reds land starter Nick Martinez after reliever Emilio Pagán

1. The Reds might value him more than any other team, which means it probably takes a more impressive offer than trade partners believe to get him.

India, a key member of the Reds clubhouse cohesiveness as much as the lineup, said he continues to talk to the front office, as he did in July.

“You know where you stand with these people,” he said. “You’re on the team. You know the front office members. You know where you stand. They’re a very honest team. Very honest front office. They don’t lie to you here.”

That doesn’t mean he’s getting any guarantees or assurances, he said.

“No, just conversations,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”

It does seem to have provided peace of mind.

2. He and his fiancee are expecting their first child in the weeks leading up to spring training. Talk about a different level of peace of mind.

“It’s definitely put a new perspective on life for us,” India said.

3. He’s also about to add another digit to his salary no matter where he’s playing in 2024 as a first-year arbitration-eligible player, looking at the kind of raise that might increase his $760,000 salary in ’23 close to five-fold.

That’s at least the upside about all this business of baseball India has discovered this year.

None of it changes how much he wants to be part of whatever comes next for this Reds organization that is the only one he knows and a group of players that came so close to doing something so unexpected last season.

“Oh, my God,” he said. “I love this team. I love the city. Now, in my fourth year in this game — that (business side) sucks. I hate it because I have so much passion for this game, for this team. Winning. Playing like a kid out there. So it sucks it’s a business and I’m dealing with the business-side stuff now.”

Barely two weeks ago, Reds president Nick Krall said he was not motivated to trade India despite the industry buzz and other teams' interest (one major league source last month said "everybody" wants India).

And other team officials suggest they don't expect India to be traded.

"I look at India as a guy who fits here," Krall said.

Whether the ideal package is presented that changes the dynamic enough to consider trading the popular India, that remains to be seen. And the next few days in Nashville might go a long way toward determining whether that happens.

"I know it'll work out for me at the end," India said. "All I can do is stay in shape and prepare for next year."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds Jonathan India has a new outlook on same old rumor mill