The Texas Rangers strengthen their pitching depth with Roansy Contreras.
The Texas Rangers have claimed right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras off outright waivers from the Los Angeles Angels, according to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.
Contreras, a former top pitching prospect, was acquired by the Angels from the Pirates in a cash deal back in May. He has four years of team control remaining but has exhausted his minor league options.
Now 24 and turning 25 next week, Contreras was the key prospect the Pirates received in the trade that sent Jameson Taillon to the Yankees, and he was once ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball.
He showed promise during a solid 2022 season, pitching 95 innings with a 3.79 ERA for the Pirates. While his 21.1% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate were slightly below average, they were still competitive. At just 22 years old, Contreras averaged nearly 96 mph on his fastball, positioning himself for a potential long-term role in Pittsburgh’s rotation.
However, the 2023 season was challenging for Contreras. He struggled with a 5.91 ERA in his first 11 starts, and his average fastball velocity dropped by 1.5 mph. His strikeout, walk, home run, and ground-ball rates all significantly decreased.
A move to the bullpen did not yield positive results; in his first relief appearance, he allowed five runs in just one-third of an inning and ended up giving up 13 runs over 12 innings in the majors after transitioning from the rotation.
In the 2024 season, Contreras had a more balanced performance, recording a 4.35 ERA while pitching for both the Pirates and Angels. Although his strikeout and walk rates remained below average, he introduced a two-seamer to his repertoire, which helped boost his ground-ball rate to 44.4%.
While he continued to surrender too much hard contact, there was a slight improvement in his average exit velocity and hard-hit rate compared to his 2023 performance, particularly after his trade to Los Angeles. Now, he will look to secure a roster spot with the Texas Rangers.
