Reds General Discussion 2026, Part 2

[shaggy]

Marty Brenneman was on WLW this morning and he said that the Reds asked him to play Winter ball this past Fall and he refused. Can you imagine Sal Stewart refusing such a request? He did not come to ST prepared. He's made no effort to learn English. I'm seeing signs of Willie Greene in this guy but he can go to Louisville and prove me wrong. My guess is that he's traded before the deadline this summer

The last person I ever listen to when wanting a fair take on things is Marty Brenneman. Seems right though that Marty would be out front of tearing down a young Reds player.

With that said it was reported by the Reds back in October that Marte would be playing winter ball in the DR so I would assume they didn't just come out and say that without asking him which tells me at some point the plan was to play. Do we know what happened to not play if he didn't?

Why does he need to learn to speak English? Does that make him hit the ball better?

I have no idea if Sal Stewart refused to play in winter league but since we don't know any of the details I am not sure we can say he would never decide to not participate in something.

[Sea Ray]

So? And how do you even know this?

I'm basing that on the fact that he needs a translator to do interviews whereas Elly no longer does. He's been playing ball in our country since 2021. That's long enough to learn enough English to do an interview if he was making an effort. That's what my comment is based on

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The last person I ever listen to when wanting a fair take on things is Marty Brenneman. Seems right though that Marty would be out front of tearing down a young Reds player.

With that said it was reported by the Reds back in October that Marte would be playing winter ball in the DR so I would assume they didn't just come out and say that without asking him which tells me at some point the plan was to play. Do we know what happened to not play if he didn't?

Why does he need to learn to speak English? Does that make him hit the ball better?

I have no idea if Sal Stewart refused to play in winter league but since we don't know any of the details I am not sure we can say he would never decide to not participate in something.

Learning English is a sign of his attitude and work ethic

[RiverfrontRed]

Hinds coming up, Marte going down.

Bout time!

[mth123]

Here’s my take on this Marte thing. Reds entered ST with an absence of lefty hitting. They paid $1.4 million for Bleday and they obviously weren’t sold on him, they sent him down.

Tito, being an experienced manager, knows you can’t have 6 consecutive RHH against RHP in the lineup every day. So Reds decided they would try Benson. He showed some power last year when much of the team had little power.

The obvious spots for Benson were RF or LF. Reds chose Steer in the lineup over Marte who struggled late last season. They used Marte against lefties as the remaining RHH outfielder. They know it’s been a weakness, but give it a try, young player, needs the reps against LHP to become a more complete hitter.

Main problem is you don’t construct a roster this way. There is no team in baseball whose default lineup against RHP contains just two LHH. There was no perfect solution to this poor team construction. They now have to make some changes.

I agree with the roster construction being the root of the problem. Keeping a 27/28 year old who has failed two years in a row and signing a couple guys off the scrap heap was not the way to address the OF.

I think Marte, because of his age, upside and success vs RHP in 2025, should have gotten the clear first crack compared to the alternatives. I also think, and noted several times, that he came with a huge risk of failure because he strikes out a lot and doesn't walk.

At the end of the day. They all failed. Some of it is from the Reds not putting them in a position to succeed. Some of it is because the group as a whole isn't very good. Now they have 90% of the season to play and no adequate answers in house to solve the OF problem that they have.

Time to start cutting bait on some guys. I'd give Bleday a look, but when he fails, I think I'd stick with Freidl (assuming he gets back to where he was last year) and as much youth as they can find (probably Hinds and H-Rod with Marte a possibility if he goes down and hits, improves his glove and is past whatever sins that put him in the doghouse). Meanwhile, I'd start looking at the trade market which probably means dealing off some prospects that we'd rather keep around.

I'd start giving Arroyo some time in the OF as well. The MI is blocked. If they can't deal him for an OF, he might be the best answer in house or would be a pretty solid option as a supersub who can actually play all the positions.

[westofyou]

Rather than beat him up on stalled progress I am hoping Marte can fix his swing and sharpen his game. As for the other stuff, don't care

[UPRedsFan]

The team looks bad. The offense looks horrible. But the good news is it's still early and other teams are struggling as well.

Brewers just got swept by the Nats, have lost 5 straight and are facing the BlueJays this week. Reds for all their struggles are 9-7, and only 4 teams in all of MLB have a better record.

[RedTeamGo!]

I'm basing that on the fact that he needs a translator to do interviews whereas Elly no longer does. He's been playing ball in our country since 2021. That's long enough to learn enough English to do an interview if he was making an effort. That's what my comment is based on

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Learning English is a sign of his attitude and work ethic

Many players that speak english but it is not their 1st language use translators because they want to make sure they do not say something wrong. Ichiro famously spoke english fluently, but used a translator:

https://www.gq.com/story/ichiro-suzu...ust-fine-moron

chiro has his own reasons for why he continues to use a translator in media interviews. In a 2011 interview, via a translator, of course, he told John Hickey of Sportspress Northwest: “We have to connect to our fans through the media, and when you talk about that, it's got to come from your heart. And when it comes from your heart, it has to be absolutely consistent. There’s a big risk you take without an interpreter, because as professional baseball players, we are here to perform baseball, not to learn a language.”

Ohtani does the same, he speaks english, but uses a translator to avoid any potential miscommunication

[RedsManRick]

Has there been any news on CES? Not sure when the waivers claims are processed and/or when he can accept/decline the assignment.

[Sea Ray]

I think Marte is a headcase who has way more talent than any of the other OF candidates (and it's not even close). If they are going to get something out of the talent (even if it's just a trade return) he should be put in a position to succeed. Marte had a 5.3 to 1 K/BB ratio last year and definitely comes with huge risk of failure. He also has a past of being suspended, looking completely unsure of himself when things go wrong (such as 2024 and his time as a 3B) and being the best returning bat on the roster vs RHP not named Elly. He's not had much success vs LHP (55 wRC+ in 2025 for example) and even the Reds themselves noted that he has a problem against them.

Why would they put a guy like that in a role like that? They know he's likely to fail and be a drag on the team's offense. They know he's been a guy who gets very uncomfortable when he's put in situations where he can't perform well (as evidenced by how he performed and their own assessment that he "wasn't relaxed" while playing 3B) and they know he's still a young player with a lot of potential and associated trade value. The last thing he and the team needed was for him to be pigeonholed in a role where they knew he was likely to fail. It's not like they put a guy with a history of success in there ahead of him vs RHP. I think he's been mishandled. It doesn't absolve him of his problems, but it certainly doesn't help the team or the player.

If they wanted to sit him for some transgression in practice, then sit him (or send him down). Don't stick him where he's at his worst. And please, don't try to convince me that a guy who has been a black hole vs RHP for two seasons in a row is a better choice.

I see no problem with the Reds playing Marte against some LHPs. If he can't hit them he'd better learn. I would consider it "coddling" him to only play him vs RHPs. This is the big leagues. It's a no coddle zone

[RedTeamGo!]

As for Marte:

Yes, Cincinnati Reds player Noelvi Marte speaks conversational English, but he typically uses a translator for professional interviews and media engagements to ensure accuracy and avoid misinterpretation. While he has been developing his language skills since his time as a prospect, he often prefers to communicate via translators for detailed, on-the-record discussions.
MLB.com
MLB.com
+4
Context: Like many international MLB players, Marte understands English well but relies on interpreters to communicate complex feelings or technical topics properly.
Background: As a younger prospect, he was noted as having "good" conversational English but was hesitant to use it in official settings, which is common for ESL (English as a Second Language) players, as discussed by fans and analysts.
Recent Usage: In 2025, reports continued to note his interviews were conducted with the assistance of a translator.
MLB.com
MLB.com
+3

[LiferJim]

I see no problem with the Reds playing Marte against some LHPs. If he can't hit them he'd better learn. I would consider it "coddling" him to only play him vs RHPs. This is the big leagues. It's a no coddle zone

Was it coddling Benson only playing him against RHP or was it putting him in a position to succeed?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tony Cloninger]

Trying to pull balls on the outside barely in that box zone does not help. Almost one handed he does this.

[Sea Ray]

Many players that speak english but it is not their 1st language use translators because they want to make sure they do not say something wrong. Ichiro famously spoke english fluently, but used a translator:

https://www.gq.com/story/ichiro-suzu...ust-fine-moron



Ohtani does the same, he speaks english, but uses a translator to avoid any potential miscommunication

I was going to mention Asian languages and how they differ from Spanish to English as I figured you'd come back with this. It is far harder for people to learn English from Japanese and vice versa. If you don't agree with me, that's fine but it is a completely different animal. If you go to Mexico you could still make out the meaning of a lot of signs. Go to Japan and you'll have no clue

[Sea Ray]

Was it coddling Benson only playing him against RHP or was it putting him in a position to succeed?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Benson should not be coddled either. He also deserves a demotion. But there is a difference between sitting LH hitters vs LH starters. The physics makes that a more difficult thing. The physics are in Marte's favor when facing a LH pitcher. He needs to get past this

[RedTeamGo!]

I was going to mention Asian languages and how they differ from Spanish to English as I figured you'd come back with this. It is far harder for people to learn English from Japanese and vice versa. If you don't agree with me, that's fine but it is a completely different animal. If you go to Mexico you could still make out the meaning of a lot of signs. Go to Japan and you'll have no clue

Yes, Cincinnati Reds player Noelvi Marte speaks conversational English, but he typically uses a translator for professional interviews and media engagements to ensure accuracy and avoid misinterpretation. While he has been developing his language skills since his time as a prospect, he often prefers to communicate via translators for detailed, on-the-record discussions.
MLB.com
MLB.com
+4
Context: Like many international MLB players, Marte understands English well but relies on interpreters to communicate complex feelings or technical topics properly.
Background: As a younger prospect, he was noted as having "good" conversational English but was hesitant to use it in official settings, which is common for ESL (English as a Second Language) players, as discussed by fans and analysts.
Recent Usage: In 2025, reports continued to note his interviews were conducted with the assistance of a translator.
MLB.com
MLB.com
+3