Reds are sending Noelvi Marte a message but missing the point

Thursday's series finale against the Chicago White Sox marked the fourth straight game in which Noelvi Marte was missing from the Cincinnati Reds' starting lineup. The outfielder's last start came this past Saturday against the Washington Nationals when he went 1-for-3 with a single.

Over Marte's last 15 games, he's hitting just .204/.216/.224, and on the year, those numbers don't look much better (.199/.240/.337). He's racked up just 13 extra-base hits in 181 at-bats this season and continues to chase pitches outside the strike zone at an indefensible rate (40.4%)

The Reds are entering the final stretch of the 2026 season, and with their ever-evaporating playoff chances settling in under 1%, now would seem like the perfect time to allow a player like Marte to prove whether or not he belongs in the team's plans for next season. But maybe the Reds already have their answer.

Noelvi Marte's time with the Reds could be coming to an end

The Reds made the decision midway through the 2025 season to move Marte from third base to right field. The change was predicated on the idea that Marte had enough athleticism and arm strength to be a defensive weapon in the outfield. (He was also a terrible defender at third base, as evidenced by his -13 DRS and -15 OAA.)

The transition from infielder to outfielder appeared to reach the pinnacle when Marte made a game-saving (and perhaps season-saving) catch at the wall during the final week of the 2025 season. Marte robbed Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds of a game-tying homer during the ninth inning of a game the Reds had to win. The moment was even depicted as part of a bobblehead giveaway earlier this year.

But since that bright, shining moment in 2025, Marte has fallen off the map and out of favor with the Reds' coaching staff. Héctor Rodríguez's recent promotion to the active roster shoved Marte even further down the depth chart, and even when the Reds needed a defensive replacement on Thursday, TJ Friedl entered the game in left field, and pushed JJ Bleday to right.

The Reds tried to give Marte reps in center field during spring training and earlier this season, but much like Nick Senzel, he failed to adapt. He made just two appearances in center field, and after making multiple defensive gaffes, Terry Francona decided to pull the plug. He hasn't seen time in center since June 17.

A sad reality is staring the Reds directly in the face — Marte has become a non-tender candidate with the offseason quickly approaching. He'll be owed a raise (albeit a small one) through arbitration heading into 2027, and while he has minor-league options remaining, one has wonder if keeping him around is worth the hassle.

Marte is still just 24 years old, so he's not necessarily a lost cause yet. But if the current plan is to allow him to rot on the bench in the big leagues, the Reds should option him back to the minors to finish out his 2026 campaign. His future is certainly perplexing, but he's not going to improve if he's not able to find meaningful in-game action over the final few weeks of the season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow