The Reds’ 2026 season went sideways in a hurry, and the problems weren’t hard to spot. Hunter Greene’s spring training injury wiped out the first half of his year, then a few starts later he needed Tommy John surgery.
That alone was a crushing setback. But the bigger issue for Cincinnati was how little the young core gave them at the plate.
For much of the season, the Reds were leaning on players like Edwin Arroyo and Noelvi Marte, and both were fighting just to get anything going offensively. Hector Rodriguez, Rece Hinds and Carlos Jorge also came up short after arriving with strong prospect résumés and minor league production that never quite translated to the majors. Of that group, Hinds is no longer with the Reds, while Arroyo, Marte, Rodriguez and Jorge remain in the organization.
That’s why winter ball matters so much for this group. All four of the remaining players have spent time in winter league baseball in their home countries over the past few years, and Marte is expected to do it again this year after missing out last winter. He’s already been in preseason camp with the Gigantes in the Dominican Winter League for weeks, getting ready for a season that starts next week.
Marte’s track record makes him one of the most important names to watch. He was productive as a rookie in 2023, but since then his results have mostly slipped, even if he had some useful stretches in 2025.
The biggest problem has been his chase rate. In his 2023 debut, he swung at pitches outside the zone 29% of the time.
That climbed to 35% in between and reached 41% in 2026. His defense also remains a work in progress after the move from infielder to outfielder, but the bat is the real concern.
A winter spent sharpening his patience and pitch recognition could go a long way toward making him a more reliable piece in a lineup that needs one.
There are other Reds players and prospects who will be scattered across winter leagues, but Marte is the only big leaguer confirmed so far. Rodriguez, Jorge and Arroyo all played in their home countries as recently as last winter, and if they do so again, they’ll have clear areas to attack as they try to build toward next season.
The prospect name drawing attention now is Alfredo Duno. The top Reds catching prospect is set to play for Caracas for the first time after finishing 2026 in Double-A.
With Tyler Stephenson likely headed toward free agency, though the Reds could still re-sign him before that happens in a few weeks, Duno’s development matters a lot. How quickly he keeps moving will help shape the future behind the plate in Cincinnati.
The Arizona Fall League is already rolling, and three of the major winter leagues open this week, with two more starting in November. If you want Reds baseball to follow through the fall and winter, there should be plenty to keep an eye on. Updates will follow once the winter leagues get going and more players take the field.
In Other News...
Joey Votto Just Added Intrigue To A Reds Infield Debate
After a season that ended without a postseason berth, the Reds are heading into an offseason where the infield will be one of the biggest talking points. Questions remain at second and third base, and that has opened the door to all kinds of outside ideas about how Cincinnati could reshape the group and find more stability for next year.
Joey Votto added a little more buzz to the conversation when he signaled support for a fans suggestion that the Reds pursue Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe. Volpe has been uneven lately, but he fits the kind of reclamation-project logic that often gets attached to young infielders with upside, and his name suddenly has a little more traction in Cincinnatis orbit as the roster discussion starts to heat up. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May Need A Veteran Catcher Stopgap Sooner Than Expected
The Reds already have one eye on their catching picture beyond the immediate season, and the uncertainty around Tyler Stephenson only sharpens the issue. Nick Krall's recent comments suggested the club still has work to do in figuring out what it would take to keep Stephenson in Cincinnati, which matters because the organizational depth behind him is not especially deep at the big-league level.
If Stephenson is elsewhere by 2027, the Reds would be leaning on Jose Trevino and Will Banfield for much of the catching load, a setup that leaves little margin for injury or regression. That is why a veteran stopgap is starting to make sense, and one possible answer could come from the free-agent market, where a catcher with experience and a modest price tag might fit the Reds' need for stability without creating a long-term commitment. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Could Find A Third Base Answer With One Big Catch
The Reds are still searching for a real answer at third base, and Baltimore infielder Jordan Westburg has emerged as the kind of buy-low target that fits the front offices budget-minded approach. He brings the sort of power and defensive value Cincinnati would like to add to its lineup, and for a club trying to improve without spending recklessly, that profile is hard to ignore.
The catch is the same one that usually shadows any discussion about Westburg: availability. His talent is clear enough to make him interesting, but the Reds would have to decide how much risk they can live with when a players history raises questions about whether he can stay on the field long enough to be a dependable answer at a premium position. [Read more 🡒]