KC's Rule 5 Pick ourighted to Naturals
Osuna, who was selected from the Atlanta Braves' organization in the December 2009 Rule 5 Draft, had to remain on the Royals' 25-man roster for the season or be exposed to waivers and offered back to the Braves. Osuna cleared those waivers and the Braves rejected the Royals return tender of Osuna's contract, therefore allowing the Royals to assign the pitcher to a minor league team within the organization, and subsequently remove him from the 40-man roster.
The 22-year old resident of Mazatlan, Mexico split the 2009 season between Class-A Advanced Myrtle Beach and Double-A Mississippi in the Braves' organization. He posted a 3-6 record and a 4.33 ERA in 14 starts in the Carolina League, and a 4-4 record and a 3.72 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) with the Double-A Braves.
Osuna owns a 25-20 record and a 3.08 ERA in 89 career minor league games, including 56 starts. He was originally signed by the Braves as a non-drafted free agent in July of 2002. Baseball America ranked Osuna as the 27th best prospect in the Royals' organization in their 2010 Prospect Handbook.
The Royals also announced on Wednesday night that former Naturals' first baseman Kila Ka'aihue and right-hander Blake Wood have been optioned to Triple-A Omaha. The preliminary Naturals roster will be released late Thursday morning.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.