Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

Top outfield prospect Jesse Winker highlighted a list of seven players the Cincinnati Reds added to their 40-man roster Friday, filling the roster to capacity in order to protect all seven from Rule 5 draft eligibility.

Winker was joined by two other outfielders and four pitchers. The Reds also added outfielders Phillip Ervin and Aristides Aquino and right-handers Nick Travieso, Keury Mella, Jackson Stephens and Barrett Astin.

Players with a certain amount of pro experience had to be added to the 40-man roster Friday to prevent them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft on the final day of the winter meetings in early December. Only teams with open spots on their 40-man roster can participate in the Rule 5 draft, and must keep any players they select in the majors all year or return them to their original clubs. That puts a premium on players who are easily hidden on a 25-man roster, like fifth outfielders, defense-first infielders and relievers.

Reds' Brandon Dixon showing versatility in Arizona Fall League

A look at the players the Reds protected:

- Winker is a 23-year-old former first-round pick who was the team's top position player prospect until third baseman Nick Senzel was drafted this past June. There are some questions about his power -- the left-handed hitter managed just three homers last year -- and his defensive fit, but he has an advanced approach at the plate and is close to major-league ready. He hit .303 with a .387 on-base percentage in his first taste of Triple-A last year.

- The 24-year-old Ervin was the team's first-round draft pick in 2013, going 27th overall. His minor-league numbers have never been impressive, but he has a chance to play center field and gets on-base. He hit just .239 last year, but had a .362 on-base percentage and stole 36 bases.

- Aquino has the most physical raw gifts of the outfielders, measuring at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. He struggled at Low-A in 2015 but exploded last year at High-A, hitting .273 with an .846 OPS and 23 home runs. He also threw out a whopping 28 runners on the bases, and is only 22.

- Mella is a hard-throwing 23-year-old whom the Reds received from the San Francisco Giants as part of the Mike Leake trade at the 2015 deadline. He touches 97 mph on his fastball but hit a small road bump at Double-A in 2016, posting a 3.90 ERA and striking out nearly 2.5 fewer batters per nine innings.

- The 22-year-old Travieso was the 14th overall pick in 2012 and also had some struggles this past season -- with performance and injury -- although he rebounded for a respectable 3.84 ERA. He did walk a troubling 4.1 per nine innings but can hit 96 mph. He was given at least a nominal chance to make the team out of spring training last year.

- Astin is coming off a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League, where he had a 3.21 ERA in 11 relief appearances. He walked nearly as many as he struck out, though, although walks were not an issue for the 25-year-old this past year at Double-A. There, he recorded a 2.70 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 103 1/3 innings. He came to the Reds as part of the Jonathan Broxton trade, and is the most likely of the pitchers to reach the majors this year.

- Stephens is a 22-year-old starter who had a 3.33 ERA in 151 1/3 innings in Double-A in 2016. Compared to the year before, he lowered his home run rate and goosed his strikeouts.

The Reds also added right-handed reliever Ariel Hernandez earlier in the month.

Even with so many 40-man spots to fill, the Reds will still likely see a player or two pilfered from their system in the Rule 5 draft. Shortstop prospects Calten Daal and Zach Vincej, relievers Alejandro Chacin and Ismael Guillon, center fielder Beau Amaral and catcher Chad Wallach were left unprotected. The Reds also declined to protect relievers Zack Weiss and Jonathon Crawford, both of whom were injured most or all of last season.