2 unprotected Reds prospects who could be selected in the Rule 5 Draft and 1 who won't

Reds RHP prospect Ryan Nutof could be selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

It was it a bit of a surprise to wake up and see that Ryan Nutof was not part of the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster. The right-hander pitched quite well in Double-A last season and made it all the way to Triple-A, appearing in four games for the Louisville Bats.

Nutof performed very well in 2022, striking out 67 batters over 59 innings across two levels of the minor leagues. Nutof owned a 25.4% strikeout-rate, but his 12.4% walk-rate might have given the Reds' brass cause to pause before elevating him to the 40-man roster.

Nutof represents the type of pitcher that many ball clubs might take interest in during next month's Rule 5 Draft. Nutof was drafted back in 2017, and after posting a 3.05 in 2022, there will be no shortage of contending teams that may look to add the University of Michigan alum to their stable.

If the Cincinnati Reds were entering a window of contention in 2023, perhaps it would have made more sense to hold on to Ryan Nutof instead of Lyon Richardson. But seeing as how Cincinnati is two-to-three years away from actually competing for the NL Central Division crown, the Reds made the right choice in not adding Nutof just yet.

There is still a chance that Nutof will not be selected in the Rule 5 Draft, in which case, expect the right-hander to receive an invitation to major league camp in Goodyear, Arizona next February.