The Reds are getting a little more clarity on Noelvi Marte, and the picture isn’t especially complicated. Gigantes del Cibao posted a video on Monday showing Marte with the caption, "This just keeps getting better! Noelvi Marte is already here and ready to bring the heat to this new week."
That comes after a rough 2026 season that left Marte as one of the easiest picks for the Reds’ biggest disappointment. Bleacher Report named JJ Bleday the club’s biggest surprise, but pointed to Marte on the other end of the spectrum.
It’s not hard to see why. Marte opened the year as Cincinnati’s right fielder on Opening Day, then got sent to Triple-A Louisville after a brutal start and made way for former outfield slugger Rece Hinds.
By the end of the season, Marte was sitting at .189/.229/.321 in 63 games, and his fWAR checked in at -1.4 for the second time in three seasons.
Still, the Reds may not be ready to close the book. Marte’s tools are still loud enough to matter.
He brings speed, power and enough arm strength to handle above-average defense in the outfield. The problem has been plate discipline, and it has dragged his career off course.
A stint in the Dominican Winter League could at least give him a chance to reset heading into 2027, even if Cincinnati would also have every reason to simply move on and outrighting him off the 40-man roster.
The attendance numbers at Great American Ball Park tell a similar story about how the season went. The Reds announced their final figures for 2026, and they fell well short of the 2025 crowd totals from the club’s postseason run.
Last year, Cincinnati averaged 26,967 fans per home game. This season, that number dropped to 24,588.
That’s a decline of 192,699 fans over the course of the 81-game home schedule.
If the product on the field doesn’t improve, those numbers could slide again in 2027. That reality puts plenty of pressure on Nick Krall and Brad Meador this offseason, especially with the roster construction looking questionable at best.
There was at least one encouraging note from the prospect side. The Arizona Fall League got underway this past week, and right-hander Luke Holman made his debut for the Peoria Javelinas on Monday.
Holman has spent most of 2026 on the injured list after Tommy John surgery in 2025, and he only got into four Arizona Complex League games back in July. Drafted 71st overall in 2024, he had thrown fewer than 16 innings as a pro before this outing.
Holman made the most of the opportunity. He worked two innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out four and didn’t walk anyone. For the Reds, the goal is simple: get him through the AFL healthy and give him a shot to keep climbing the minor league ladder in 2027.
In Other News...
Reds Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious Over Sal Stewart Ranking
Sal Stewart gave the Reds exactly the kind of rookie season that usually forces people to pay attention, because he was in the lineup every day and produced like a middle-of-the-order bat. He hit 32 home runs, drove in 111 runs and played all 162 games, numbers that made him one of the most valuable young players in the league and a serious National League Rookie of the Year candidate.
So it was no surprise to see some pushback when media rankings slotted him lower than many Reds fans expected, with concerns tied more to defense and base running than to what he did at the plate. For Cincinnati, though, the larger picture is pretty simple: Stewart looks like a cornerstone moving forward, and the debate over where he lands on a rookie list says more about outside evaluation than it does about the kind of impact he already had. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Suddenly Have A Lefty Bullpen Issue Worth Watching
The Reds bullpen picture has shifted again, and one of the quieter problems now sitting in plain sight is on the left side. After recent trades and designations, Cincinnati does not have a left-handed reliever on its 40-man roster, which makes the relief mix look a little thinner than usual heading into the next layer of roster planning.
Bailey Falter has emerged as a name to watch in that search for depth. The left-hander elected free agency after the 2026 season and has already bounced around the league with stops in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Atlanta, giving him the kind of mileage that can appeal to a club looking for pitching versatility. For the Reds, the question is whether a minor-league deal can help solve the lefty shortage without forcing a bigger roster commitment. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Still Have One Costly Problem The Front Office Must Fix
KeBryan Hayes gave the Reds exactly what they hoped for on the dirt, turning third base into a run-saving spot with his glove. The problem is that Cincinnati cannot ignore the other side of the position for long, and the front office heads into the offseason looking at a market that is not exactly overflowing with obvious fixes. Free agency offers only so much help, which is why the conversation has quickly shifted toward trades and the possibility of finding a more balanced answer elsewhere.
The trade route may be where the Reds can actually make a meaningful upgrade, especially if clubs with infield depth decide to reshuffle their plans. Names such as Isaac Paredes and Brett Baty fit into that broader search, and recent organizational changes with the Astros and Mets could open doors that were not there before. For a team trying to build around pitching and run prevention without leaving too much offense on the table, third base has become one of the more important puzzles to solve. [Read more 🡒]