Which Reds prospects are now available in the Rule 5 Draft?

On Friday afternoon, the Cincinnati Reds protected five players from the Rule 5 Draft. Top pitching prospect Hunter Greene was among those who joined the 40-man roster.

In addition, outfielder Allan Cerda, and pitchers James Marinan, Alexis Diaz, and Daniel Duarte were selected by the Reds.

Which Reds prospects are available in the Rule 5 Draft?

The Reds roster now stands at 40, and several of Cincinnati's prospects may be plucked from the roster during next month's Rule 5 Draft.

Some of the higher profile prospects who may not be part of the Reds organization moving forward are shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, catcher Chris Okey, and pitcher Jacob Heatherly.

Rodriguez is probably the biggest name among those not protected. The 27-year-old has been in the Reds farm system for sometime, but has never made it to the big leagues.

An international free agent signing out of Cuba, Rodriguez has always been known for his defense, but his bat has consistently lagged behind.

It appeared as though 2021 was Rodriguez's last chance to make an impression. While he hit .283 in 117 games at Triple-A Louisville, Rodriguez posted a wRC+ of just 86.

Chris Okey was a former 2nd-round pick of the Reds.

Chris Okey isn't as accomplished as Alfredo Rodriguez, but the Reds thought highly enough of the backstop to draft him in the second-round of the 2016 MLB Draft.

Okey is a defense-first catcher who, like Rodriguez, has failed to produce results at the plate. The 26-year-old slashed .237/.330/.379 at Triple-A Louisville.

Those aren't horrible numbers by any stretch for a catcher, but with Tyler Stephenson and Mark Kolozsvary as the only backstops on the roster, the Reds seem content to allow Okey to walk.

Jacob Heatherly was a third-round pick of Cincinnati in 2017, and I still believe there's a future for the left-hander in the Reds organization.

However, the southpaw didn't see any time in the minor leagues last season, instead spending time at the team complex in Arizona.

Heatherly has fantastic raw talent, but the 23-year-old has yet to put it all together. Heatherly really struggles with control and commanding the strike zone.

Those three players were not the only ones the Cincinnati Reds left unprotected. Brian Rey, Debby Santana, Lorenzo Cedrola, and Eduardo Salazar were not added to the 40-man roster either.