What Does Noelvi Marte’s Suspension Mean for the Reds
Ever since they signed free agent Jeimer Candelario this offseason, there has been talk about the glut of infielders the Cincinnati Reds had on their roster. With top prospects Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Noelvi Marte having all debuted last year, the Reds infield was set to be one of the youngest and most exciting in the game.
Now, unfortunately, the Reds have been dealt a major blow as Marte is going to be sidelined for the first half of the season for a PED violation. Still technically a prospect, Marte is ranked No. 1 in the Reds system.
The 22-year-old debuted in the middle of August and hit .316/.366/.456, with a 120 wRC+ in 35 games down the stretch. He was now set to be the Reds starting third baseman for his first full season, but those plans will be put on hold until he serves an 80-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s PED policy.
How the Reds Will Fill the Void Left By Marte?
Luckily for the Reds, they have plenty of depth to be able to absorb the loss of Marte. Their starting infield without him will still look to be one of the best in the game despite this suspension.
Elly De La Cruz is now entering his second big league season and is a candidate to break out in a big way as their starting shortstop. Matt McLain was the Reds best rookie last season, posting a 3.2 fWAR in just 89 games, where he hit .290/.357/.507, with 16 home runs and 14 stolen bases.
The addition of Candelario this offseason immediately plugs the hole left by Marte, as the 30-year-old can shift back over to third from first base, where he was originally expected to play most of this season. Candelario is coming off a career-year in 2023, where he hit .251/.336/.471, with 22 home runs and a 117 wRC+.
What this suspension really does is open playing time for both Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Jonathan India. Encarnacion-Strand was looking at being in a bit of a time-share with Candelario at first base, while trying to get at-bats at DH as well. Now he can take over as the starting first baseman with Candelario moving over to third.
