The Rangers designated right-hander Roansy Contreras for assignment. Texas needed to open a 40-man roster spot after finalizing their free agent deals with Jacob Webb and Nathan Eovaldi.
Contreras departs the Texas roster within six weeks. The Rangers grabbed him off waivers from the Angels in the opening days of the offseason. There was always a decent chance that he wouldn’t stick on the roster all winter. He’ll either be traded or, more likely, placed back on waivers within the next few days.
The 25-year-old was once regarded as one of the game’s better pitching prospects. Initially a Yankee farmhand, he was a key piece of the package that New York sent to the Pirates for Jameson Taillon. Contreras had a decent debut season with the Pirates in 2022, turning in a 3.79 ERA across 95 innings. He looked like a long-term rotation piece at the time, but his production has dropped sharply over the last two seasons.
Contreras struggled to an ERA near 7.00 across 68 1/3 MLB frames in 2023. He exhausted his last minor league option that year. The Pirates carried him in the season-opening bullpen in ’24. He pitched 12 times in medium-leverage spots before the Bucs took him off the roster. They dealt him to the Angels for cash in May. Contreras played out the year with the Halos in a long relief role, posting a 4.33 ERA with subpar peripherals in 37 appearances.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Contreras owns a 5.47 earned run average over 136 2/3 innings. His 18.5% strikeout percentage and 10.5% walk rate are worse than the respective MLB averages, as is his 1.4 home runs allowed per nine. The performance and the inability to send him to the minors without putting him on waivers could lead to him bouncing around the league. Contreras should still intrigue teams as a depth arm, as he sits around 95 MPH with his four-seam fastball and throws six different pitches.
Clofreesz
Why Contreras? Why not Grant Anderson?
Ranger Danger19
He has options and at this point about the same amount of potential.
EvanCartersBack
We have to keep our submarine side arm. It’s a rule from Manfred.
Ranger Danger19
We hardly knew ya
Tom the ray fan
Another baby bomber who never was
Lindor's Bodyguard
Are you talking to me?
~Justus Sheffield
dclivejazz
Uh oh, Contreras sounds like Nats’ incoming.
Gwynning
Preller will fight you for him! I could see Contreras invited to Padre Spring Training…
Lindor's Bodyguard
Mets are going for all the Yankees. Better hurry.
I speak the truth
Another failed Yankees prospect.
jopeness
In 2019 at 18yr old he led the class-A in wins with 12. Yanks sent him to Pitt in 2021 at 21 yrs old. Pirates put him in the majors in 2022. he probably needed to develop more, but was fast tracked. technically speaking he was in the Pirates system longer than the Yanks so
I speak the truth
Okay a failed Pirates prospect too but there’s a mountain of overhyped failed Yankees prospects. We all know the names. Do you want me to make a list?
humphrey x boegarts
no thanks
Lindor's Bodyguard
Yes. That would be fun to read.
jopeness
We can make a list for every team. Most fans are also exciting about their respective farm teams. So sure they hype them and overestimate their future. But thats why we are fans
cr4
Rays come save this man lol still has upside
Garmo87
Huff should be the one on the DFA block.
vtadave
Aubrey is such a dbag
Baseball77
Maybe Contreras should go pitch in Korea. Maybe he could figure something out there, dominate and come back to MLB at 27 or 29 years of age.
cr4
Not the worst idea but also look at each organization he’s been with track record on development not great. He needs to go to a team like the Rays/Guardians/Brewers and if that doesn’t work out then go overseas
DonOsbourne
Grab him Mo. Perfect buy-low opportunity on a depth arm.
Gwynning
Donnie O! – AJ vs. Mo, you pick the venue and battle weapons, winner take Roansy’s rights! Happy Holidays amigo
DonOsbourne
Season’s Greetings! I’m going to say Cheyenne, WY, POBO Rodeo Battle. Whichever infamous executive can hang on the full eight seconds gets to claim Contreras. May the best suit win.
Gwynning
Love it. Make it an annual event and we can market it as the MLB POBOdeo
chemfinancing
I think ur missing Johan Oviedo. But in all reality not the worst depth option at this point
DonOsbourne
Guilty as charged. I’d love to have Oviedo back.
chemfinancing
He is going to be good at triple a. Maybe he should consider Japan
Mendoza Line 215
The Pirates should bring him back as they have a number of roster openings.
He probably was rushed to the majors and does not now have any options left but with improvement shown in next year’s spring training could provide a long man or emergency starter for the Pirates.
If he pitches to his potential he could take the place of Ortiz and give them two long men with Falter.This is no longer a throw away position as the young or recently injured starters will be on pitch counts and someone who can give you three good innings is an important consideration.