White Sox select catcher Adrian Nieto in Rule 5 Draft

The Chicago White Sox have selected catcher Adrian Nieto from the Washington Nationals organization in the first round of the Rule 5 Draft.

Nieto, 24, hit .285 (111-390) with 29 doubles, 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 68 runs scored and a .373 on-base percentage over 110 games with Class A Potomac in 2013. He made 86 starts at catcher and threw out 33.3 percent (42-126) of attempted basestealers. 

Nieto ranked fifth in the Carolina League in on-base percentage. He also ranked among the CL catching leaders in runs scored (1st), games played (1st), doubles (T1st), RBI (T2nd), hits (3rd), average (4th) and home runs (4th).

The 6-foot, 200-pound Nieto played for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League last season, batting .271 (13-48) with six RBI and six runs scored in 13 games. He was selected to the AFL Fall Stars Game, formerly the leagues' Rising Stars contest. Nieto also appeared in two games for Team Spain during the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Nieto has appeared in 357 games over six minor-league seasons (2008-13) in the Washington organization, hitting .254 (309-1,215) with 27 home runs, 163 RBI and 187 runs scored. He has thrown out 32.5 percent (111-342) of attempted basestealers in his career.

The Havana, Cuba native was selected by the Nationals in the fifth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla.

With the move, the White Sox 40-man roster is at 39.