roster for the 2000 season, in which he toiled to a 6.49 earned run average at only 21 years of age. Two years later, he legitimized himself as a Major League pitcher, with an ERA under 3.00, and two years after that, he was recognized as one of the best pitchers in the league. Had he not been chosen in the rule 5 draft, he likely would not have made his major-league debut until the 2001 or the 2002 season with the Astros. Roberto Clemente is the only Rule 5 draft pick to be inducted into Cooperstown, having been selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the then Brooklyn Dodgers in 1955. See also Free agency (Major League Baseball), the rules that apply to free agents in MLB seeking new contracts or salary arbitration References External links MLB Official Info: Rules, Regulations and Statistics at MLB.com Transactions Primer by Rob Neyer Options by Jeff Euston Bizofbaseball.com Baseball terminology Major League Baseball labor relations Sports trades