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

Don't look for Reds C prospect Daniel Vellojin to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

With Tyler Stephenson as the lone catcher on the 40-man roster, was it risky for the Cincinnati Reds to leave one of the top catching prospects unprotected from the Rule 5 Draft? Fans will just have to wait and see.

Daniel Vellojin is one of the highest-rated catching prospects in the Cincinnati farm system. The 22-year-old playe across three different levels of the minor leauges last season, but after displaying huge power at High-A Dayton, the left-handed hitting backstop got bogged down at Double-A Chattanooga.

Of course, as fans know, catchers are more than just hitters. In fact, if you can find a backstop that put up a slash line of .240/.320/.375 while providing quality defense, you're probably doing okay. Vellojin is what you might consider a well-rounded prospect, but there's nothing about the young catcher that would catch the eye of most talent evaluators.

That's probably why the Cincinnati Reds chose not to add Daniel Vellojin to the 40-man roster. Cincinnati still needs to add another catcher or two the roster, but the team may look to do so via free agency.

Vellojin still needs more seasoning in the minors before making the leap the big leagues. Most other organizations will likely shy away from Vellojin during the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. Look for the catcher to remain with the Reds organization and be on his way to Goodyear next spring.