Jonathan India on Kyle Farmer: "Heart and soul of our team, love you bro"

The Cincinnati Reds continue their long and grueling rebuilding process.

Kyle Farmer is the latest casualty of a team looking to manage their payroll and build with youth in 2023. They traded fan favorite Farmer to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league pitching prospect Casey Legumina.

In a recent Tweet, Reds infielder Jonathon India paid tribute to the 32-year-old utility player. The two have played in the team infield together over the past two seasons and have created a strong bond.

"Heart and soul of our team, love you bro." - Jonathon India

The move will clear up space in the payroll for the Reds. Kyle Farmer was eligible for arbitration this offseason and instead of facing a hefty bill, they chose to trade one of their key players. This has caused mixed-reactions by Reds fans and players who regard Farmer as a key piece of the club's future plans.

Cincinnati lost an astronomical 100 games this season to tie for last in the National League Central. Farmer, however, had been one of the bright spots on the team.

He finished the regular season with a .255/.315/.386 slash line and a .701 OPS. At the end of the season, he led the team in home runs (14), RBIs (78), runs (58), and at-bats (526).

Kyle Farmer led the Reds lineup in home runs and RBIs and runs in 2022

Kyle Farmer high fives his teammates after scoring in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park

Farmer also played more games than any other player with 145 total outings. Nick Senzel and Jonathon India were the only other Reds players to have played over 100 games.

"The Reds have traded Kyle Farmer for Casey Legumina. Today was the non-tender deadline in MLB. He was due a projected amount of $5.9 million The Reds move on from the team MVP in 2022. The big question: will the Reds do anything with the money they would have given to Farmer?" - Charlie Goldsmith

To replace their season MVP, the organization signed Kevin Newman from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Newman has played in 431 games with the Pirates over five MLB seasons. He is a career .260 hitter and has amassed 20 home runs and 143 RBIs.

The Reds are losing one of their leaders and star players in Kyle Farmer. For a franchise that had one of the worst starts ever to an MLB season in 2022, this is a big risk. It will be interesting to see how the club manages their payroll in the offseason and if they can bring in some top-tier talent.