The Cincinnati Reds have signed minor league contracts with Brooks Kriske and Hernan Perez

You know Hernan Perez, and you know him well. From the start of the 2016 MLB season through the end of 2019, he socked 44 homers and swiped 63 bags within the National League Central for the Milwaukee Brewers, often serving as a particular thorn in the side of the Cincinnati Reds. His career .794 OPS against Cincinnati is his best against any team he has faced in at least 100 PA, after all.

Perez has played quite literally all over the field in his career, with catcher the only position where he hasn’t seen time at the big league level. That makes him just about the perfect depth piece, something the Reds made him last week when they signed him to a minor league deal. Hat-tip to Gingersaurus Rex on the Twitter machine for pointing out that news earlier today.

Perez, who will turn 33 in March, last played in a major league game in 2021 with the Washington Nationals. He spent the whole 2022 season with AAA Gwinnett in the Atlanta organization before posting a solid.836 OPS in 231 PA with AAA St. Paul in the Minnesota organization last year. If all goes as planned, he’ll be parked at AAA Louisville in 2024.

On Thursday morning, the Reds also officially confirmed the signing of RHP Brooks Kriske.

The righty, who will be 30 in February, is a former New York Yankees 6th round choice who has registered a total of 21.2 IP in the game’s highest level since 2021, divided between the Bronx, Baltimore, and Kansas City, and has been blasted for 27 ER. This past season, he was released by the Royals in mid-July to pursue a career in Japan, where he got on with the Saitama Seibu Lions, where he fared much, much better in a small sample. That happened after he spent all of his baseball days in Japan during the 2022 season, pitching to a decent 3.50 ERA in 36.0 innings for the Yokohama Bay Stars.

I have pointed out in years past that the Lions have perhaps the cleanest cap/logo in all of baseball, and Kriske got to wear it. Surely that imbued in him a renewed desire to slice up opponent batters with aplomb.

Kriske also has an 80-grade pitch face, which must count for something.

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Why the Reds trading Jonathan India to the Blue Jays just doesn’t make any sense

The Toronto Blue Jays have recently been rumored as a potential trade destination for Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India.

On the surface, the concept seems reasonable, doesn’t it? The Blue Jays are looking for offensive firepower to complement Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette after missing out on Shohei Ohtani. The Jays also lost free agents Matt Chapman, Kevin Kiermaier, Whit Merrifield, and C.J. Cron.

But is India really the right fit for Toronto? While Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall should kick the tires on any potential trade that would upgrade the team, this idea seems a bit far-fetched.

Why the Reds trading Jonathan India to the Blue Jays just doesn’t make any sense

Jonathan India is coming off his second consecutive injury-plagued, subpar season. After bursting onto the scene in 2021 and grabbing National League Rookie of the Year honors, an array of injuries have seen India’s performance take a tumble the past two seasons.

As a rookie, India hit .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI. However, from 2022-2023, India has posted a slash line of just .246/.333/.394 and has appeared in 222 of a would-be 324 games (68.5-percent).

In addition, Jonathan India’s second-base defense has been among the worst in baseball. In three seasons, India has made 34 errors and has a fielding percentage of.974. During his first three major league seasons, India was worth -23 outs above average (OAA), according to Baseball Savant.

Merrifield and fellow second baseman Cavan Biggio are not excellent defenders, but relying on India to replace them at the keystone would certainly result in a drop in Toronto’s defense.

There’s also the reality that India is a right-handed hitter, which the Blue Jays already have in abundance. Right-handed batters include Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk, George Springer, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It seems reasonable to believe that Toronto is seeking for a left-handed hitter to help balance out the squad.

Other organizations, such as the Seattle Mariners, appear to be a far better fit for Jonathan India. But, for Nick Krall, it’s not about the other club, but about his own. If the Cincinnati Reds decide to move India this offseason, Krall will undoubtedly be concerned with the return.

The Reds have maintained that they’re not shopping India this winter, but teams continue to call. Cincinnati’s plethora of infielders would allow for such a subtraction, but the Reds also like the increased depth of keeping India on the roster heading into 2024.