3 Reds prospects who were left unprotected and could be poached in Rule 5 Draft

The deadline to protect prospects from the Rule 5 Draft has passed, and the Cincinnati Reds, who relied heavily on young talent last season, added three prospects to the team's 40-man roster.

Rece Hinds, Jacob Hurtubise, and Christian Roa all had their contracts selected and were added to the Reds 40-man roster. But any Rule 5 Draft-eligible prospect whose contract is not selected by Tuesday's deadline could be on another team in a few weeks.

The Rule 5 Draft will take place during the upcoming MLB Winter Meetings and a few Reds prospects who were left unprotected could be poached by other teams.

1. Reds prospect Vin Tampanelli could be poached during the Rule 5 Draft

Vin Tampanelli was, at one time, a rather highly-regarded prospect in the Cincinnati Reds farm systetm. No, Tampanelli wasn't a household name that most Reds fans would recognize, but the scouting and development department looked fondly upon the right-hander.

While it's unlikely that the Reds faith in Tampanelli has wavered all that much, the fact the club did not choose to protect the reliever from the Rule 5 Draft suggests that he's either fallen out of favor slightly or the Reds do not believe another team will select him during next month's supplemental draft.

Tampanelli is a strikeout machine. Last season, while splitting time between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga, the 25-year-old recorded 60 punch outs in 55.1 innings of work. A 9.76 K/9 and 24.5-percent strikeout-rate will always gain some attention.

However, Tampanelli's walk-rate, which was above 12-percent, could have been the reason he was left off the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster. Tampanelli could draw the interest of opposing clubs during the Rule 5 Draft, or he could slip through and find his way to Goodyear with a chance to make an impact.