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Noelvi Marte Receives 80-Game Suspension After Positive PED Test

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The MLB commissioner’s office announced today that Reds infielder Noelvi Marte has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a banned performance enhancing substance. “The Reds fully support Major League Baseball’s drug policy and its penalties,” the club said in a statement. “We will have no further comment.” Marte will be on the restricted list until the first 80 games of the regular season are completed.

Marte, 22, was one of several exciting young position players to debut with the Reds last year. An international signing of the Mariners out of the Dominican Republic, he was one of four players that came to the Reds in the 2022 trade that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle. He slashed .279/.358/.454 in the minors last year, earning himself a call-up in mid-August. He then hit .316/.366/.456 in his first 123 major league plate appearances while splitting his time between shortstop and third base.

Marte was coming into the 2024 campaign as a consensus top 50 prospect in the sport and set to be a key part of the left side of the Cincinnati infield. Instead, he will sit out the first half of the season while serving his suspension.

As mentioned, the Reds have been graduating a number of prospects to the majors lately and should have plenty of options to cover for Marte’s absence. Matt McLain can play either middle infield spot while Elly De La Cruz could play either spot on the left side. Jeimer Candelario and Christian Encarnacion-Strand can play the corner infield spots.

Spencer Steer can bounce all over the diamond but may end up in left field with the infield logjam, even without Marte. Jonathan India has been a second baseman for the most part but has been getting work at first and in the outfield due to the club’s bevy of infielders. Catcher Tyler Stephenson has some experience at first base. Even if Steer and India end up spending more time on the infield, the outfield still has TJ Friedl, Will Benson, Jake Fraley and Stuart Fairchild.

How the club manages their roster without Marte remains to be seen. For him personally, this figures to push back his free agency and perhaps his qualification for arbitration as players do not accrue service time while on the restricted list. He currently has 44 days of MLB service time but this suspension will prevent him from getting over the one-year mark in 2024.

Reds Sending Nick Lodolo For Further Evaluation On Left Leg

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  • Reds starter Nick Lodolo was limited to seven appearances in 2023 because of a stress reaction in his left tibia. That bothersome issue kept him out of action from mid-May on. The southpaw apparently isn’t quite at 100%. Lodolo has yet to make his Spring Training debut because of residual leg discomfort on days after his bullpen or live batting practice sessions, manager David Bell told reporters (link via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The Reds are sending Lodolo for additional testing on the bone before deciding on the next step in his build-up process. That’s at least somewhat alarming, although Bell said the team is still hopeful that Lodolo will avoid opening the season on the injured list.

NL Central Notes: India, Ashby, Santana, Pirates

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Plantar fasciitis sidelined Jonathan India last summer, and the injury is still impacting the Reds infielder’s availability as Spring Training begins.  Manager David Bell told the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters that India isn’t slated to appear in a game until March 7 or 8, as India’s plantar fasciitis tore during the offseason and is still causing him some discomfort.  On the plus side, the tear means that India won’t need to undergo surgery on his foot, and Bell said that India is still able to take part in baseball activity as he builds up to being game-ready.

Health is just one of many uncertainties hanging over India as he begins his fourth Major League season.  Already the subject of frequent trade rumors due to Cincinnati’s plethora of up-and-coming infield talent, India looks to be moving into a utility role if he remains with the Reds, as he could be playing all over the infield, at DH, and perhaps in left field.

Other items from around the NL Central…

  • Aaron Ashby is eager to be back after missing virtually all of the 2023 season due to arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder.  Describing the procedure to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Ashby said “I essentially had some calcified muscle on my rotator cuff, and they went in there and clipped it right off.  Once I got out of surgery the doctor was like, ’This was best-case scenario for you.’  It’s a minimal surgery in terms of what they did, but a shoulder surgery is a shoulder surgery, and it’s tricky at times.”  The southpaw’s only game action in 2023 was seven innings of minor-league rehab work in September, but he has been making good progress in Spring Training and is hoping to win a spot in the Brewers rotation, though Rosiak notes that bullpen work could help ease Ashby back into regular activity.
  • Carlos Santana had interest in returning to the Pirates as a free agent this winter, with Santana telling Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he expressed this to the team when he was traded to the Brewers prior to last summer’s trade deadline.  The Bucs still had some interest during the offseason even after signing Rowdy Tellez to ostensibly fill the void at first base, but Santana didn’t know why an agreement wasn’t reached.  “My agent has a very good relationship with the team, but he didn’t tell me anything.  I wanted to come back, but there was nothing going on,” the first baseman said.  Santana instead joined the Twins on a one-year, $5.25MM deal, and the Pirates will head into 2024 with Tellez and Connor Joe as the first base platoon and Andrew McCutchen returning as the primary DH.
  • This could be something of a tough read for Pirates fans, but The Athletic’s Stephen J. Nesbitt and Ken Rosenthal details some of the missteps that have slowed the team’s rebuild, such as a lack of success in international signings and some instances of a disconnect between traditional baseball teachings and the more modern approach of GM Ben Cherington.  However, the largest issue is naturally the team’s lack of spending under owner Bob Nutting, as there is less margin for error for Cherington’s front office when operating within a tight budget.  Nesbitt and Rosenthal’s piece was published a day before the Pirates announced a five-year, $77MM extension with Mitch Keller, which is one instance of how the Bucs have been slightly more willing to spend in order to lock up young cornerstone players.

Reds, Mike Ford Agree To Minor League Deal

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TODAY: The Reds officially announced their deal with Ford, and MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (via X) has the contractual details.  Ford will earn $1.3MM if he makes the big league roster, and another $125K is available in bonus money.  Ford can opt out of his contract on March 23 if he hasn’t been promised a spot on the Opening Day roster.

FEBRUARY 23: The Reds have agreed to a minor league deal with first baseman/designated hitter Mike Ford, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The ZS Sports client would earn $1.3MM in the big leagues and can pick up another $125K worth of incentives on the deal, which contains opt-out dates both during spring training and during the regular season.

Ford, 31, posted huge power numbers with the Mariners in 2023, slashing .228/.323/.475 with 16 homers in just 251 trips to the plate. That power was accompanied by an above-average 9.6% walk rate but also a bloated 32.3% strikeout rate. The former Yankee farmhand has long had plus power and questionable contact rates, so the 2023 season wasn’t out of the norm in that regard. However, last season also represented Ford’s longest and most productive stretch in the big leagues. He’d never reached even 200 plate appearances in a major league season prior.

The left-handed-hitting Ford hasn’t been allowed to face lefties much in his career but torched them in 24 plate appearances last year and has actually fared better against fellow southpaws in his career at large. It’s only 108 plate appearances, but he’s a .268/.343/.577 hitter versus lefties compared to .200/.303/.389 against righties (in a much larger sample of 611 plate appearances).

Cincinnati already has more infielders than infield at-bats available — so much so that Spencer Steer is being moved to left field on a full-time basis in 2024. Even still, the Reds have Jeimer Candelario, Jonathan India, Noelvi Marte, Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand in line to rotate around the infield and throughout the DH spot. Ford gives Cincinnati a left-handed depth option who can handle first or DH work in the event of injuries or some regression from any of its promising young infielders. As it stands, Candelario, Encarnacion-Strand and India are in line to see the most action at first base and DH, but a strong spring could thrust Ford into that mix — or, considering the spring opt-out date(s) in the deal, at least serve as an audition for another club seeking some lefty-hitting thump.

Reds Sign Tony Kemp To Minor League Deal

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TODAY: The Reds officially announced their deal with Kemp.  MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon (via X) reports that Kemp will earn $1.75MM if he makes Cincinnati’s active roster, with another $750K in bonuses available.  Kemp can opt out of his deal on March 23 if he hasn’t been promised a spot on the Opening Day roster.

FEBRUARY 23: The Reds have signed infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp to a minor league deal, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The Ballengee Group client also receives an invite to big league camp.

Kemp, 32, is coming off a down year with the Athletics. He walked more than he struck out, 10.5% rate to 9.5%, but didn’t do much damage when he put the ball in play. He slashed just .209/.303/.304 for a wRC+ of 77. The baseball gods may have been frowning on him a little bit, as his .221 batting average on balls in play was well below the .297 league average last year. But on the other hand, Kemp’s never been a huge threat with the bat, with poor career metrics in terms of exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate.

But there are some attractive attributes as well, including defensive versatility. He has over 2,000 innings of big league experience at second base and left field, in addition to brief time at the other two outfield spots and shortstop. He also racked up double-digit steal totals in each of the past two seasons.

The Reds are loaded with position-player talent all over the diamond, with Jeimer Candelario, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marté, Jonathan India, Will Benson, Tyler Stephenson, Jake Fraley all battling for playing time. But many of the guys in that group are still fairly young and inexperienced. If any of them have some sort of setback in terms of results, the club would probably prefer they get regular reps in the minors as opposed to sitting on the big league bench.

The club has also signed veteran infielders like Josh Harrison, Erik González, Hernán Pérez and Mark Mathias to minor league deals. Kemp will jump into that mix and try to play his way into a veteran bench role at some point.

Which Is The Best Team In The NL Central?

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The National League Central is arguably the tightest division in the majors right now. That’s subjective but borne out by projection systems. The FanGraphs projected standings have all five teams currently slated for between 83 and 77 wins, the smallest spread from first to last out of the six divisions. The PECOTA standings at Baseball Prospectus aren’t quite as tight, with a spread of 11.7 games from first to last, but that’s still narrower than any other division in the league.

Last year, the Brewers took the division fairly easily, going 92-70 and finishing nine games up on the second-place Cubs. But a lot has changed since then and there could still be more changes to come. The “Boras Four” of Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Matt Chapman and Cody Bellinger remain unsigned, as do several other free agents. One of those players joining an NL Central club could change the calculation but let’s take a look at where things stand now, in order of last year’s standings.

Brewers: 92-70 in 2023, FG projects 80 wins in 2024, PECOTA 79

The reigning champions have undergone some significant changes, particularly in their rotation. Brandon Woodruff underwent shoulder surgery late last year, with the rehab putting his 2024 season in jeopardy. He was non-tendered and re-signed but won’t be a factor until late in the upcoming season, if at all. On top of that, the club traded Corbin Burnes to the Orioles, meaning they are now without both of their co-aces from recent years.

That makes the rotation clearly weaker than it has been in previous seasons, even though they did acquire some reinforcements. DL Hall came over in the Burnes trade and the Brewers will give him a chance to earn a rotation job. They also re-signed Wade Miley and Colin Rea in addition to bringing in Jakob Junis and Joe Ross to back up Freddy Peralta, who has now been vaulted to the top spot. Prospects Jacob Misiorowski and Robert Gasser could push for roles during the season.

While the starting rotation has clearly been diminished, the lineup should be better. They didn’t lose any core pieces from last year’s position player mix while they have signed free agents Rhys Hoskins and Gary Sánchez for some extra thump. Prospect Jackson Chourio should be up to make his debut this year while other young players like Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell and Brice Turang will hopefully continue to take steps forward. Joey Ortiz, who came over in the Burnes deal alongside Hall, could seize a role on the infield.

Cubs: 83-79 in 2023, FG projects 80 wins in 2024, PECOTA 80.8

The Cubs have been retooling for a few years but just narrowly missed a return to the postseason in 2023. Their finished 83-79, just one game behind the Diamondbacks and Marlins, who got the last two Wild Card spots. They then saw Bellinger, Jeimer Candelario and Marcus Stroman become free agents, subtracting two regulars from the lineup and a starter from the rotation. Candelario since jumped to the Reds and Stroman to the Yankees, though Bellinger is still out there.

In the rotation, Stroman has effectively been replaced by the signing of Shota Imanaga. The Cubs signed him in January and it’s hoped that he can supply at least some mid-rotation production to make up for the loss of Stroman, slotting in next to Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Kyle Hendricks. A bounceback from Taillon could arguably make the rotation even better this year. The same could be said about a step forward from rookie Jordan Wicks, who debuted last year.

In the lineup, the Cubs are hoping that Michael Busch can be a difference maker. Acquired from the Dodgers in an offseason trade, he has always hit well in the minors but was blocked from seizing a role on his previous club. He’ll take over the first base spot, which was a bit of a hole for the Cubs last year. Bringing back Bellinger to center field still seems possible, but until it happens, the plan appears to be to count on Pete Crow-Armstrong to seize a job. The youngster is considered a great defender but his bat is questionable. Mike Tauchman is on hand if PCA doesn’t make a case for himself.

Signing Chapman to take over third could be a logical move but it’s also possible the club could slot Christopher Morel there. He has an exciting amount of power in his bat and his throwing arm, but concerns about his defense and propensity for strikeouts. Still, the bar is not too high for him to be better than guys like Nick Madrigal or Patrick Wisdom.

Reds: 82-80 in 2023, FG projects 79 wins in 2024, PECOTA 78.7

A surge of young position player talent was almost enough to vault the Reds into the playoffs last year. They did that despite a team-wide ERA of 4.83 and and 5.43 mark from their starting rotation. No significant contributors to the 2023 club reached free agency, so even just a bit of internal improvement could make them a contender.

But the Reds weren’t just going to rely on their incumbent options, as they have been fairly active this offseason. They added Candelario to their position player mix despite already having plenty of bats for their lineup. That should give them some cover for any of their young players suffering some regression or an injury.

They also bolstered the pitching staff which, as mentioned, was an issue last year. Free agents Frankie Montas, Nick Martínez, Emilio Pagán and Brent Suter were all signed to the roster. Montas is coming off a lengthy injury absence but was quite effective the last time he was healthy. Martínez could be a back-end addition for the rotation or he might wind up in the bullpen with Pagán and Suter. They could also get better just via health, as no one on the club logged 150 innings last year as each of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Graham Ashcraft spent time on the IL, while Andrew Abbott didn’t debut until midseason.

Pirates: 76-86 in 2023, FG projects 77 wins in 2024, PECOTA 73

Somewhat similar to the Reds, the Pirates also rode a wave of young talent last year, though it didn’t have the same staying power. They were in first place in the division as late as June 15 but faded as the season wore on and finished outside contention.

They were facing almost no roster losses, as their most significant free agents from 2023 were Andrew McCutchen and Vince Velasquez. McCutchen re-signed while Velasquez only made eight starts last year anyway due to elbow surgery. But they faced other challenges as right-hander Johan Oviedo and catcher Endy Rodríguez both required UCL surgery this offseason and will miss all of 2024.

With Rodríguez out, the club is hoping Henry Davis can pivot back behind the plate and take over. They signed veteran Yasmani Grandal as a bit of insurance in case things don’t work out with Davis. They grabbed a couple of veteran starters as well in Martín Pérez and Marco Gonzales, hoping that duo can over for the losses of Oviedo and Velasquez as well as the struggles of Roansy Contreras. The impending debut of prospect Paul Skenes could also help in that department as well, with Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler perhaps not far behind.

The lineup hasn’t drastically changed, with Rowdy Tellez brought in as a bounceback candidate. Perhaps their most impactful lineup upgrade could be the health of Oneil Cruz, who missed most of 2023 due ankle surgery. They also signed Aroldis Chapman to help David Bednar form a lockdown late-inning duo.

Cardinals: 71-91 in 2023, FG projects 83 wins in 2024, PECOTA 84.7

Many predicted the Cards to win the division last year but it clearly did not happen. Plenty of things went wrong, particularly on the pitching side of things, and they ended up in the basement. The team-wide ERA of 4.83 was better than just five teams in the majors, with the 5.08 rotation ERA even worse. Adam Wainwright’s swan song turned out to be ear-splitting while Steven Matz and Jack Flaherty also struggled. Depth guys like Dakota Hudson, Matthew Liberatore, Zack Thompson and Jake Woodford were all bad to varying degrees.

Remaking the rotation was the clear priority this winter and they have been active in that department. They quickly signed Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson at the start of the offseason to replace Flaherty, Montgomery and Wainwright. Sem Robberse, Adam Kloffenstein, Tekoah Roby and Drew Rom were all acquired at last year’s deadline and could make the emergency depth stronger. Victor Santos was added this offseason as part of the Tyler O’Neill trade.

Not too much has changed on the position player side of things. As mentioned, O’Neill was shipped out but the club is hoping to replace him internally. The emergence of Masyn Winn at shortstop means that Tommy Edman is probably now an outfielder full-time, assuming Winn produces better results than he did in his debut last year. Bounceback performances, particularly from Nolan Arenado, will be key. In the bullpen, Jordan Hicks and Chris Stratton were traded last summer. The Cards traded for Andrew Kittredge and signed Keynan Middleton to try to make up for those two departures.

Compared to the other divisions in the big leagues, this one is the hardest to decide on a clear favorite. The Brewers are the defending champs but have lost their two aces. Can the extra offense make up for that? Was it a rare blip that the Cardinals were so bad last year? Have the Cubs done enough to get over the hump? Can the Reds or Pirates get enough improvement from their young players to surge ahead?

What do you think? Have your say in the poll below!

Reds Open To Post-Playing Role For Joey Votto

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First baseman Joey Votto has spent his entire career with the Reds but is currently a free agent. The club declined their $20MM option for his services in 2024, opting for the $7MM buyout instead, sending him to the open market for the first time in his career.

Votto is hoping to continue playing this year, but it seems he’ll have to don a new uniform in order to do so. Cincinnati’s president of baseball operations Nick Krall was unusually candid last month in firmly stating that the Reds “don’t plan to bring him back as of now.”

The veteran has received interest from the Blue Jays and Angels this offseason but remains unattached. Whether he finds a new playing gig or not, it seems he has future job opportunities on the table. Krall tells Gordon Wittenmyer and Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer that the club would welcome Votto back for some kind of role in his post-playing days.

“I’ve left the door open for that,” Krall said. “I’d love to have Joey in the organization, once his playing days are over. He’s a Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer. He’s very well respected in the organization, and we all love him.” The exact nature of that role would likely be determined in the future, with the article floating possibilities such as a mentor, coach, special assistant, etc.

It’s understandable that the club would welcome such a development, given Votto’s franchise icon status. He played parts of 17 seasons with them, winning National League MVP in 2010 and making six All-Star teams in the process. He hit 356 home runs and walked nearly as much as he struck out, among many other accomplishments.

That may end up being the final tally of his accolades as a Red, but he’s still hoping to add to his track record with another club. Whenever it’s time to transition to a different stage, it seems he’ll have options available to him.

Latest On Nick Lodolo

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  • Left-hander Nick Lodolo has already been at the Reds’ spring camp for a month, as Lodolo has been getting in extra work in the aftermath of an injury-marred 2023 season.  Lodolo tossed 34 1/3 innings over seven starts before suffering a stress fracture in his left tibia in May, and he made only three minor league appearances before being shut down in late August.  Lodolo told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon that he isn’t feeling any pain in his left leg, and though he isn’t up to feeling exactly normal just yet, Lodolo and manager David Bell are hopeful the pitcher can be ready to be part of the Opening Day roster.  “Health will be the top priority,” Bell said.  “So if we don’t feel great about it, we could always just delay it, making sure that he’s fully healthy. He’s in a place that he could catch up and be on time for the season.”

Latest On Noelvi Marte, Sam Moll

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  • As relayed by Gordon Wittenmyer and Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds provided a pair of minor injury updates today. Most notable is that regarding infielder Noelvi Marte, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The youngster appeared to be recovering well last month, and the good news has continued as both Marte and Reds brass indicate he should be ready for Opening Day, though he will be delayed in the start to his spring as he’s expected to miss the first five games of Cactus League action. Left-hander Sam Moll is also delayed entering camp, with Wittenmyer and Goldsmith relaying the southpaw dealt with a bout of shoulder soreness while ramping up last month. That’s led the club to put off Moll’s first bullpen session of the spring, though the 32-year-old hurler has continued to play catch and is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Moll impressed with the Reds down the stretch with a 0.73 ERA and 3.34 FIP in 25 appearances after being acquired from Oakland last summer.

Mariners Claim Levi Stoudt, Designate Canaan Smith-Njigba

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The Mariners announced that right-hander Levi Stoudt has been claimed off waivers from the Reds.  To create 40-man roster space, Seattle designated outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba for assignment.

The move is a bit of a homecoming for Stoudt, who returns to the organization that made him a third-round pick in the 2019 draft.  Stoudt was one of the four prospects the Mariners dealt to the Reds at the 2022 trade deadline as part of the Luis Castillo blockbuster, and Stoudt’s time in Cincinnati saw the 26-year-old make his Major League debut.  Appearing in four games last season, Stoudt posted a 9.58 ERA in his first 10 1/3 innings of big league work.

Despite the achievement of making it to the Show, 2023 was a difficult season overall for Stoudt, who had a 6.23 ERA in 82 1/3 innings with Triple-A Louisville.  The righty was rocked for 20 homers over those 82 1/3 frames, and his 58 strikeouts only slightly exceeded his 50 walks.  Stoudt has a decent fastball that averaged 94.4mph in his abbreviated MLB tenure but his strikeout rates have been decreasing over his three pro seasons while his control has always been somewhat inconsistent.

This was enough to make the Reds feel Stoudt was an expendable piece, as Cincinnati designated the righty earlier this week.  A return to the Mariners might help Stoudt get on track, and the M’s will get a chance to more closely evaluate him during Spring Training.  If Stoudt can stabilize his performance, he can act as a big league-ready depth arm to be called upon at Triple-A, should the Mariners be in need of a spot starter or long reliever to eat some innings.

Smith-Njigba’s time in Seattle might not last long, as the Mariners only claimed him off waivers from the Pirates 10 days ago.  Like Stoudt, the 24-year-outfielder also has a pretty brief MLB resume, posting a .493 OPS over 44 plate appearances with Pittsburgh over the last two seasons.  His numbers at the Triple-A level have been a lot more impressive, as Smith-Njigba has hit .273/.366/.439 in 686 PA with the Pirates’ top affiliate since the start of the 2021 campaign.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Smith-Njigba change teams again via waiver claim, if another club is intrigued by this Triple-A protection and the outfielder’s set of tools, even if Smith-Njigba has yet to really manifest his potential.  Baseball America ranked him as the 28th-best prospect in the Mariners’ farm system, with concerns about a “lack of speed or defensive value,” but Smith-Njigba has power potential and an “above-average approach and a good balance of aggression and patience.”

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