Reds are already running out of excuses for this Noelvi Marte experiment

The Noelvi Marte in center field experiment needs to end immediately. At the very least, it must be put on hiatus until next spring. Marte misplayed two catchable balls during the Cincinnati Reds' 9-1 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday afternoon, and there's no reason to keep sending him out there.

The first miscue came in the top of the fifth inning with the Reds already trailing 5-1. With two outs and runners on first and second, A.J. Ewing lifted a ball into deep center field. Marte came in at first, and then went back. But it was too late. The ball was already over his head, and two runs scored.

The second, and more egregious error came in the top of the eighth inning when Carson Benge sent a deep fly ball into left-center field. Marte went back on it, but completely lost track of the flight path. The ball caromed off the wall and trickled back toward the infield. JJ Bleday grabbed the ball and threw it in, but by then, Benge was already standing on third base.

Mercifully, Reds manager substituted Dane Myers to take over in center field heading into the ninth inning and Marte was pushed over to right. Neither play was ruled an error, but both plays should've been made.

The Reds need to end the Noelvi Marte experiment now

Marte came up through the Reds' farm system as a shortstop. With Elly De La Cruz occupying that spot upon Marte's arrival in the major leagues, Cincinnati decided to move him to third base. He had a hard time with the adjustment, and across three big-league seasons, he's been worth -13 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -15 outs above average (OAA) at the hot corner.

In 2025, the Reds made the decision to move Marte from third base to right field. The results were somewhat mixed, but for a player learning the position on the fly, he held his own. He was worth 5 DRS and -1 OAA in right field last season, and has played average defense in his limited reps out there this year.

But the move to center field has been an outright disaster. Under no circumstances should he be out there again this season. And it's not as if the Reds don't have another capable centerfielder. You saw Myers get the nod after Marte's second flub on Wednesday, and both Will Benson and Blake Dunn can play center field as well.

This has been a colossal mess on the part of Cincinnati's front office and the coaching staff. But as Reds radio voice Jeff Brantley said during Wednesday's broadcast, it's the pitcher whose stats become skewed because of Marte's shortcomings in the outfield.

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