Nick Senzel's fate all but sealed after Reds promote Noelvi Marte to play third base

The Cincinnati Reds called up their No. 1 overall prospect Noelvi Marte on Saturday. In a corresponding move, the Reds placed infielder Kevin Newman on the 10-day injured list (left oblique strain).

Marte will join other several other Reds rookies such as Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand in making his 2023 debut.

According to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, David Bell announced that Marte will play third base on an everyday basis. Meanwhile, Nick Senzel still finds himself in Triple-A. Does Marte’s debut spell the end for Senzel in a Reds uniform?

Noelvi Marte’s debut spells the end for Nick Senzel's time with the Reds.

Nick Senzel was drafted with the second overall pick by the Reds in 2016. Many baseball executives and scouts agreed that Senzel was the safest pick in the draft.

Coming out of the University of Tennessee, Senzel was an elite hitter and an above-average fielder at third base. Unfortunately, Senzel has not reached that high-ceiling potential throughout his career with the Reds.

According to FanGraphs, Senzel has a career slash line of .236/.300/.361. Injuries have limited him from ever playing a full season, and may have had a major impact on his development

Senzel's on-field performance had limited his 2023 season to a platoon role, batting only against left-handed pitchers. Senzel seemed unhappy with this role and had a meeting with Reds manager David Bell and GM Nick Krall prior to the trade deadline.

In a surprise move, the Reds optioned the former first round pick to the Triple-A Louisville Bats on August 11th. Senzel had been on the major league roster since 2019 and is still under team-control through the 2025 season. After the demotion, many wondered what the future holds for Senzel.

Calling up Noelvi Marte paints a clearer picture that Senzel may no longer have a place in Cincinnati. With Kevin Newman going to the IL, promoting Marte instead of recalling Senzel proves that the Reds have lost all confidence in him. Nick Senzel may have seen his last days in a Cincinnati Reds uniform.