Geronimo Franzua
Geronimo Franzua (born September 25, 1993) is a Dominican Republic professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously pitched five seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball with Hiroshima Toyo Carp.[2] Playing careerHouston AstrosFranzua was signed by the Houston Astros on September 23, 2010.[3] He was a member of the Dominican Summer League Astros for three years from 2011 to 2013.[4] He was released by the Astros on January 7, 2014.[5] Hiroshima Toyo CarpHe joined the Dominican Carp Academy in 2014.[6] He came to Japan as a trainee in September 2014,[6] and was sent to the Kōchi Fighting Dogs of the Shikoku Island League Plus in March 2016.[7] He pitched in 14 games that season, posting a 1-5 record and a 4.43 earned-run average. On March 7, 2018, he signed a developmental player contract with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and was assigned uniform number 143.[8][9] He began the season with eight appearances in the Western League, posting a 2-1 record and a 2.57 earned-run average, then signed a controlled player contract with the team on May 20.[10][6] The contract contained a $100,000 (11,042,318 yen) signing bonus and an annual salary of $80,000 (8,833,854 yen). His uniform number was changed to 97.[6] He recorded his first professional win on June 26 against the Yomiuri Giants, and in August, he had a 0.51 earned-run average in 18 appearances.[11][12] He also pitched in the 2018 Central League Climax Series and the 2018 Japan Series. He became a free agent following the 2022 season. Pittsburgh PiratesOn February 10, 2023, Franzua signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.[13] On November 6, 2024, he elected free agency.[14] References
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