Noelvi Marte has become one of the Reds’ clearest disappointment stories this season, but his path forward in Cincinnati may not be as closed off as it looks.
The 24-year-old was sent back to Triple-A Louisville for a second time in August, and unless the Reds get hit with a disastrous run of injuries over the final week-plus, that’s where he’ll finish the 2026 campaign. Since rejoining the Louisville Bats on August 21, Marte has put together a line that doesn’t exactly force the issue: a .282 batting average, a 1.1% walk rate, a .287 on-base percentage and a .687 OPS over 22 games.
That lack of discipline at the plate has pushed plenty of Reds fans toward the same question about his future. Marte looks like a strong non-tender candidate this offseason. But there’s a contractual wrinkle that could work in his favor and keep him in Cincinnati for at least another year.
Marte’s 2024 PED suspension is the key. He was suspended for 80 games before that season began, and he did not collect any service time during that absence.
His time in the minors this season also doesn’t count toward Major League service time, which means he won’t be in line for an arbitration raise. Heading into 2027, he would still cost only the league minimum.
That matters because the Reds could decide the price is low enough to justify another look. Marte’s season has been rough, but his physical tools are still obvious. His speed and arm strength give him the kind of defensive profile that can play in the outfield, which is why the coaching staff moved him from third base to right field.
The bat remains the problem. Marte’s chase rate sits at 41.2%, and he keeps getting burned by breaking balls diving low and away. That’s a real flaw, but it’s also the kind of issue a different coaching approach could maybe help clean up next season.
Marte was the centerpiece of the Luis Castillo trade in 2022, and with a minimum salary plus minor league options still available, the Reds don’t have to rush into cutting bait this offseason.
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