The 40-man.


The Rangers finalized their 40-man roster yesterday. Players not on it could be plucked in the Rule 5 Draft, which will be December 12 during the GM meetings in San Diego.

The Rule 5 draft was created to prevent teams from stockpiling too many minor leaguers and give those players a chance to play in the major leagues.  

Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente was a Rule 5 pick. So too were Rangers Josh Hamilton, R.A. Dickey, and Delino DeShields.

Each player selected costs the team who picks him $100,000. If a player is selected by a team, he must be on the major league roster the entire season and active at least 90 days, or be returned back to the original team, getting a refund of $50,000.

Unfortunately, the Rangers are no longer eligible for a refund on Delino DeShields.