2 Reds prospects who have no shot to make the Opening Day roster and 1 who's a shoo-in

Noelvi Marte has no shot to make the Reds Opening Day roster.

Noelvi Marte, much like Connor Phillips, was part of the Seattle Mariners organization at this time last year. Marte was part of midseason deal with the M's that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle. In return, the Redlegs received Marte, shortstop Edwin Arroyo, and pair of pitching prospects.

Marte was the big "get" of that trade, though Arroyo is a top talent as well. Marte, however, is closer to the big leagues. But the infielder is still a ways away from making his major league debut and has no shot of being part of the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster.

Marte, who's just 21 years old, has a good eye at the dish and is rather patient hitter. The Reds, however, are hoping that Marte can make the switch from shortstop to third base. That transition alone will be enough to keep Marte in the minors for most of, if not all, of the 2023 season.

Marte has played shortstop throughout all his professional career, but during the Arizona Fall League he switched to the hot corner. Cincinnati already has Jose Barrero, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and the aforementioned Arroyo battling to become the Reds next shortstop.

Noelvi Marte has a ton of talent. He posted a respectable 11.3% walk-rate and 20.6% strikeout-rate in 2023. The Reds will be hoping that Marte is able to maintain those numbers and up his slugging percentage just a little bit. According to FanGraphs, Marte posted a wRC+ of 131 last season. There's a lot to like, but the fanbase will need to be patient.

Spencer Steer is a shoo-in to make the Reds Opening Day roster.

Very few fans might consider Spencer Steer a prospect because he made his major league debut last season. But, the 25-year-old is still, for all intents and purposes, still a prospect and his rookie status is still intact.

Steer was acquired from the Minnesota Twins last summer. Along with Christian Encarncacion-Strand and Steve Hajjar, Steer was sent to Cincinnati in exchange for pitcher Tyler Mahle.

The Reds have made a few moves during the offseason that signal an opportunity for Steer. Cincy traded infielder Kyle Farmer to Minnesota. Farmer had playe third base over the second-half of last season after the club recalled Jose Barrero to play shortstop.

In addition to the departure of Farmer, Mike Moustakas was also cut loose this winter. By designating Moose for assignment, the Reds are essentially paying him $22M to play elsewhere in 2023. This was a signal that the club is done straddling the fence in terms of rebuilding the team, and is all-in.

Third base is wide open for the taking, and if Steer can play up to his potential, he should be the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day starter at the hot corner. Steer hit .259/.354/.479 at Triple-A last season after slashing .307/.385/.591 for Minnesota's Double-A affiliate.

If Spencer Steer struggles during spring training, the Reds could roll with Jason Vosler, Alejo Lopez, or Matt Reynolds at third base, but Steer would still likely break camp with the Reds and act as a bench bat. The University of Oregon product is a shoo-in to part of the Reds Opening Day roster.