Reds outright 5 players, including former first-round pick

The Cincinnati Reds did a little housekeeping on Monday afternoon. The organization outrighted five players to Triple-A, including a former first-round draft pick.

Vladimir Gutierrez, Justin Dunn, Alan Busenitz, Brett Kennedy, and Connor Overton all cleared waivers and will be able to test the free agent this winter.

The lone surprise among the group is Gutierrez. A former starter, Gutierrez underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022. While the right-hander made an attempt to return to the majors this season, Gutierrez suffered a setback and was shut down earlier this year.

Reds news: 5 players outrighted, including former first-round pick Justin Dunn

Vladimir Gutierrez showed flashes during his rookie season, and looked like a potential starter for the CIncinnati Reds. But Year 2 was quite unkind to Gutierrez, and after transforming into a reliever following a trip back to the minor leagues, the 28-year-old suffered a season-ending injury.

Justin Dunn, who was a former first-round draft pick of the New York Mets in 2016, came to Cincinnati in 2022. Dunn, along with Jake Fraley, Connor Phillips, and Brandon Williamson, was part of the trade that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners.

Dunn's career, even before the trade, had been crippled by injuries. In total, Dunn has only appeared in seven games for the Reds in two seasons with the organization. Heading into this offseason, both Gutierrez and Dunn were eligible for arbitration.

Alan Busenitz, Brett Kennedy, and Connor Overton have all been outrighted previously in their careers and will be eligible for free agency. The Reds 40-man roster now stands at 38, but Nick Lodolo, Revier Sanmartin, and Graham Ashcraft will need to be activated once the offseason begins.

These moves, in conjunction with Harrison Bader, Buck Farmer, and Luke Maile entering free agency will be enough to get Cincinnati's roster where it needs to be. Joey Votto and Curt Casali also have team-options that are unlikely to be exercised.