Noelvi Marte, Juan Brito producing for Reds in Dominican Winter League

When the Cincinnati Reds traded Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners, the return package was exciting. They received Seattle's No. 1 prospect, infielder Noelvi Marte. The power bat had a ton of potential, and many thought he'd be the Reds' third baseman of the future.

Through his first three seasons in the majors, he never panned out. Poor offensive numbers mixed with an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs have led many to think he's a bust. He's been up and down between the Reds' major league roster and Triple-A, and he has also switched positions to get more reps in the outfield, but nothing has worked.

However, Marte is tearing it up in the Dominican Winter League with Gigantes del Cibao, hitting .362 with a .958 OPS, three home runs and 14 RBIs in 17 games. He has also stolen eight bases, walked three times and struck out 10 times in 69 at-bats.

His strikeout rate is down substantially, at just 13.5%. He struck out in 25.9% of his plate appearances this past season. That doesn't mean it will translate, but it could mean he's swinging the bat with much more confidence.

Marte isn't the only Reds player in the Dominican Winter League. Trade deadline acquisition Juan Brito is tearing it up as well, hitting .311 with a .933 OPS, two home runs and nine RBIs. Maybe the most impressive part of Brito's stint is his walk rate. He has drawn nine walks in 45 at-bats, with 10 strikeouts.

Brito spent all of September on the Reds' big league roster, hitting .309 with an .848 OPS, three home runs and 11 RBIs. He's in an interesting spot as a potential second base option for the Reds in 2027. If he can continue this production in the Dominican Winter League and follow it with a solid spring training, or whatever preseason camp the Reds hold with a possible lockout beginning Dec. 1, you could be looking at your Opening Day starter at second base.

Matt McLain's struggles have been apparent. He doesn't deserve much of a leash going forward and should honestly be a trade candidate for starting pitching help.

Nevertheless, both Marte and Brito have a lot to gain from a good offseason, as Marte tries to buy whatever time he has left with Cincinnati and Brito makes a bid for regular at-bats at the major league level.