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.

3. Reds prospect Tyler Callihan may not be added to the 40-man roster

Tyler Callihan was selected one round after Rece Hinds in 2018. The duo were supposed to really compliment each other well with Hinds bringing the thunder to the Reds lineup with his right-handed power stroke, while Callihan was a gap-to-gap contact hitter.

Unfortunately for the Reds, Hinds has been more swing-and-miss and Callihan's career has been ravaged by injuries. Cincinnati is hopeful that both eventually reach their full potential, but Tuesday's deadline saw Callihan left out in the cold while Hinds now has a home on the 40-man roster.

Callihan will have to prove everyone wrong in 2024, and the Reds undoubtedly hope that he'll do so as part of the Cincinnati farm system. However, it's possible that another club sees the value in Callihan and selects him during the upcoming Rule 5 Draft.

Tyler Callihan enjoyed his first healthy season in 2023 and made it to Double-A. Callihan has generally kept the strikeouts to a minimum and has a relatively good understanding of the strike zone. In his 22 games with the Chattanooga Lookouts last season, Callihan posted an .856 OPS and wRC+ of 131 according to FanGraphs.

Callihan is a bit limited defensively. Though he possesses enough arm strength to place across the diamond at third base, he looks more at home at second. Perhaps Callihan could eventually fill as a first baseman as well. He saw 12 games there in 2023.