The Pirates claimed Osoria off waivers in December after the Dodgers dropped him from their 40-man roster to clear space for free-agent acquisitions. Pirates manager Jim Tracy is familiar with Osoria from his time as Los Angeles' skipper in 2005, when the Dominican Republic native made his major league debut. His best pitch is a sinking fastball that usually parks at 88-92 mph. He throws it from a low-three-quarter arm slot, sometimes dropping down to almost sidearm, and the pitch produces one ground ball after another when it is working. Osoria has six digits on his right hand, which also helps him put sinking action on the ball. The sinker is his only plus pitch, so he has trouble against lefthanders. He has a frisbee slider that has a side-to-side break, and his changeup is strictly for show. Osoria has trouble throwing either pitch for strikes consistently. He's one of a sizable group of righthanded relievers with limited or no major league experience who will compete for a job in the Pirates bullpen in spring training. If he makes the club, he'll work in the middle innings and as a specialist against righthanders.
The Dodgers added Osoria to their 40-man roster over a handful of other promising pitchers, including Marcos Carvajal, who was taken in the major league Rule 5 draft by the Brewers and sold to the Rockies. Osoria doesn't throw as hard as Carvajal but shows the ability to command a nasty sinker. Osoria has a sixth digit on his right hand but doesn't use it to grip the ball. He spent most of 2004 in Double-A, where he was used in middle relief and a set-up role, and he should occupy a similar role in the big leagues. Osoria throws from a low three-quarters arm slot to generate late movement on his 88-92 mph sinker. Hitters know it's coming yet struggle to square the ball, making it difficult to lift and drive because of its boring action. Righthanders managed a .212 average and one homer against him in Double-A last year. Like the sidewinding Steve Schmoll, Osoria's slot prevents him from getting on top of a breaking ball. He needs to improve a second offspeed offering. His low-80s slider starts at a righthander's front hip and runs across the plate, but it's inconsistent. Osoria hasn't mastered English yet, and the language barrier has become troublesome for coaches and the player-development staff. He's on the cusp of pitching out of the Dodgers bullpen and will be challenged in Triple-A this season.
Another highly regarded young gun from Pablo Peguero's scouting efforts in the Dominican Republic, Osoria emerged as a prospect last year after two years as a starter in the Dominican Summer League. The Dodgers have a plethora of promising young arms who already have been restricted to relief roles. It's surprising that they've limited some of those prospects to the bullpen instead of developing stamina and encouraging a complete repertoire by making them starters. Osoria differs from the radar-gun monsters in that his fastball has average velocity, but no pitcher in the system can top his plus-plus movement. He keeps hitters off balance with a low three-quarters arm slot that borders on sidearm. Osoria operates primarily with a two-pitch, sinker-slider attack. He doesn't throw anything straight and hitters have little chance of lifting the ball against him. Florida State League hitters slugged just .260 against him, and righthanders managed a .181 average with one extra-base hit in 105 at bats. Praised for his work ethic, he could move through the system in a hurry.
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