Franquelis Antonio Osoria (born September 12, 1981, in Santiago, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 who is currently a free agent.

Osoria made his Major League Baseball debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

 on June 7, . In December , he was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...

. After spending most of the season with the Pirates' Triple-A club in Indianapolis

Indianapolis Indians

The Indianapolis Indians are a minor league baseball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team, which plays in the International League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates major-league club. The Indians play at Victory Field, located in downtown Indianapolis...

, going 2-5 with a 2.63 ERA

Earned run average

In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

 in 39 games as a reliever, he was called up by the Pirates on August 4, . On July 31, , he was designated for assignment after the Pirates traded Jason Bay for four players. On November 30, 2008, he signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Like fellow reliever Antonio Alfonseca

Antonio Alfonseca

Antonio Alfonseca is a relief pitcher for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He last pitched in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies, and is also known for having an extra digit on each hand and foot. Alfonseca has also played for the Florida...

, Osoria has an extra digit on his throwing hand.

Offseason

During the offseason Osoria pitches for the Aguilas Cibaeñas

Águilas Cibaeñas

The Águilas Cibaeñas are a team in the Dominican Republic's winter baseball league. Founded in and based in Santiago, they have won 5 Caribbean Series and 20 national titles. The Águilas have a large fan base in the Dominican Republic...

 that are from his native Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros

Santiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...

 of the Dominican Winter League.

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