ATLANTA -- Max Fried, Lucas Sims and Johan Camargo received the message they were waiting for this week when they were informed they have been added to the Braves' 40-man roster.
Major League clubs had until Friday to fill their respective 40-man rosters with players they wanted to protect from being selected in December's Rule 5 Draft. It was assumed the Braves would protect Fried and Sims, two of the highly-regarded pitching prospects in Atlanta's system. Camargo's addition was not necessarily expected, but it makes sense, given how other teams might value his tremendous defensive skills as a middle infielder.
Those eligible to be selected in this year's Rule 5 Draft include any player not on the 40-man roster who signed in 2012 at 18 years old or younger or in '13 at 19 or older. A team that makes a selection during the Major League phase of this Draft must pay $50,000 and commit to carrying the selected player on its active roster through the entirety of the following season. A selected player can be offered back to the original club for $25,000.

With this week's additions of R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon, Fried, Sims and Camargo, the Braves have just one vacant spot on their 40-man roster.
When Fried was taken by the Padres with the seventh overall selection in the 2012 MLB Draft, some scouts rated him higher than his high school teammate Lucas Giolito, the Nationals' right-hander who ranks as MLBPipeline.com's third-best overall prospect.
Fried's rise toward the Majors was halted when he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014. The 22-year-old lefty was traded to the Braves (in the deal that sent Justin Upton to San Diego) that winter and rehabbed throughout 2015. Fried regained his prospect status this past summer as he posted a 3.93 ERA and recorded 112 strikeouts over 103 innings. He notched 10 strikeouts in both of his final two regular-season starts and then totaled 24 strikeouts while allowing just two runs over 14 2/3 innings during the South Atlantic League playoffs.

Sims was taken by the Braves with the 21st overall selection in 2012. The 22-year-old right-hander produced a 2.67 ERA in 17 starts for Double-A Mississippi and a 7.56 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) for Triple-A Gwinnett this year. He recorded 159 strikeouts in 141 innings combined, but didn't do anything to alleviate lingering concerns about his command, as he issued 92 walks.
Camargo tallied four home runs and recorded just one stolen base while hitting .267 with a .683 OPS in 491 plate appearances for Mississippi this year. The 22-year-old infielder strengthened his defensive value via the versatility he showed capably playing shortstop, second base and third base.