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Winker among 7 players protected from Rule 5 Draft
- Updated: November 18, 2016
CINCINNATI — A long-awaited moment for many up-and-coming prospects is the day they are added to the 40-man Major League roster. That day came on Friday for seven Reds Minor Leaguers, including outfielder Jesse Winker.
Along with Winker, right-handers Barrett Astin, Keury Mella, Jackson Stephens and Nick Travieso and outfielders Aristides Aquino and Phillip Ervin were also protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
The additions give the Reds a full 40-man roster.
Rated as the organization’s third-ranked prospect by MLBPipeline.com, the 23-year-old Winker batted .303/.397/.384 with three home runs and 45 RBIs in 106 games for Triple-A Louisville last season.
Mella, 23, is the No. 9 prospect and went 8-9 with a 3.90 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) for Class A Advanced Daytona. Over 131 2/3 innings, he allowed 150 hits and 56 walks while striking out 95. Mella, who was acquired with Adam Duvall from the Giants in the 2015 trade for Mike Leake, also made one start for Louisville to end ’16.
Travieso, who turns 23 on Jan. 31, was Cincinnati’s first-round Draft pick in 2012 and is ranked as its No. 16 prospect. In 23 starts for Double-A Pensacola, he …
