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The Texas Rangers have picked up right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras off outright waivers from the Los Angeles Angels, as reported by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.
The Angels brought in Contreras, a former top pitching prospect, from the Pirates in a cash deal back in May. He will remain under team control for four additional seasons but has run out of minor league options.
Now 24 years old and turning 25 next week, Contreras was the centerpiece prospect the Pirates acquired in the trade that sent Jameson Taillon to the Yankees. At that time, he ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball.
Roansy Contreras' bumpy career so far
He demonstrated his potential during a solid 2022 season, recording 95 innings with a 3.79 ERA for the Pirates. Although his 21.1% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate were slightly below average, they were not far off.
Roansy Contreras averaged nearly 96 mph on his fastball while still just 22 years old, indicating he was on track to secure a long-term position in the Pittsburgh rotation.
The 2023 season painted a starkly different picture for Contreras. He struggled with a 5.91 ERA in his first 11 starts, experiencing a decline of 1.5 mph in his average fastball velocity. Additionally, his strikeout, walk, home run, and ground-ball rates all plummeted significantly.
A shift to the bullpen failed to yield positive results for Contreras. In his first relief outing after losing his starting role, he surrendered five runs in just one-third of an inning. Overall, he allowed 13 runs in 12 major league innings after his transition from the rotation.
Contreras' 2024 season fell between his two previous years. He recorded a decent yet unremarkable 4.35 ERA while playing for both the Pirates and Angels. Although his strikeout and walk rates remained below average, he introduced a two-seamer to his pitch selection, which helped increase his ground-ball rate to 44.4%.
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Securing a roster spot with the Texas Rangers
The Former Angels pitcher continued to give up too much hard contact, but he experienced a slight decrease in both average exit velocity and hard-hit rate compared to his 2023 performance, especially after the trade to Los Angeles.
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Contreras primarily relied on a mid-90s four-seam fastball (used 37.6% of the time) and a mid-80s slider, which he threw 25% of the time in 2024.
While Contreras may not secure a spot on the Rangers’ 40-man roster during the offseason, players like him often change hands through waivers as teams seek to add depth to their non-roster options. If he remains with the team until next spring, he could serve as a useful option for either the back end of the rotation or the bullpen.
Injuries and inconsistent pitching depth were obstacles for the 2024 Rangers, ultimately costing them a postseason berth after their 2023 World Series triumph.
Bringing in Contreras — along with likely other similar additions throughout the winter — is an early effort to strengthen the pitching depth for the 2025 season.
Contreras provides the Rangers with an affordable bullpen option, which they could use heading into the offseason. Texas stands to lose key relievers, including Kirby Yates, David Robertson, José Leclerc, and José Ureña—four pitchers who logged the most bullpen innings for the team in 2024—to free agency this winter.
