For the first time in a very long time the Atlanta Braves have taken a player in the Rule 5 draft. Atlanta selected left-handed pitcher Robert Fish from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organization. This is the second year in a row that Fish has been selected in the Rule 5 draft. Last year he was selected by the Yankees. He was then claimed off waivers by the Royals, but failed to make the team's 25-man roster out of spring training and was returned to the Angels prior the start of the 2011 season.

Fish will only be 24 next year, so he's still rather young. He was selected in the sixth round out of high school in the 2006 June draft.

I imagine that Fish will compete for a bullpen spot this spring. I like the fact that he has gone through the Rule 5 process already. He will know what to expect and how to prepare himself for this year's spring training. Still, there is a lot of solid competition for spots in the Braves bullpen this year, so he will have to impress the Braves with his stuff in order to stick. Atlanta has a good track record for selecting random pitchers off waivers, so perhaps that luck will extend to a Rule 5 pick this year.

No player in the Braves organization was selected by another club. Last year the Twins selected Scott Diamond, and ended up working out a trade towards the end of spring training for Diamond (so they could send him to the minors) in exchange for reliever Billy Bullock, who could compete for a spot in the Braves bullpen this spring.