Former Pirates top prospect has had a wild ride through waivers this offseason

Roansy Contreras was once one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ best prospects. Entering 2022, he was a consensus top-100 prospect. After a promising 2022 rookie season, the young right-hander looked to be trending upward. However, fast forward to 2025, and his star has significantly dimmed. Not only have the Pirates since traded him, but he has been a part of five different organizations and claimed off waivers six times over the last year.

In 2022, Contreras had a 3.79 ERA, 4.38 FIP, and 1.27 WHIP in 95 1/3 innings of work. He averaged 96 MPH with his fastball and had a 98 Stuff+, which is solid for a starter. There were some worrying numbers under the hood, however, with his xERA (4.43), xFIP (4.48), and SIERA (4.41) pinning him as a mid-4’s ERA starter. He was hit rather hard with a 90.1 MPH exit velo (12th percentile) and 11% barrel percentage (4th percentile). He also only had a 21.1% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate, with a 1.27 HR/9. However, being just his age-22 season, there was definitely time to improve.

Unfortunately, Contreras couldn’t build off the positives he flashed in 2022 the following year. He would only toss 68 1/3 innings and logged a 6.59 ERA, 5.19 FIP, and 1.57 WHIP. Although he had a similar exit velo at 90.5 MPH and his barrel percentage dropped to 8.4%, Contreras’ walk rate moved in the wrong direction to 10.6%, while his strikeout rate fell below 20% to just 18.6%. His home run rate also spiked, with a 1.57 HR/9. Contreras was eventually demoted to the bullpen, then banished to Triple-A, and was never recalled throughout the season.

Contreras opened 2024 in the Pirates’ bullpen. But he’d go on to allow eight earned runs and three home runs in just 16 1/3 innings pitched. Contreras was ultimately DFA’d when the Bucs promoted Paul Skenes and was soon sent to the LA Angels. Things wouldn’t get much better, as Contreras had a 4.33 ERA, 5.19 FIP, and 1.29 WHIP in 52 innings for the Halos. He only struck out 40 opponents and allowed 23 to reach via free pass. Contreras’ 0.61 average leverage index was the sixth-lowest among pitchers with at least 50 innings from May 16 onward (when the Angels acquired him), meaning, on average, he was used the sixth-least amount of times in high leverage and regularly used in low-leverage.

But this is where things get interesting for Contreras. He entered the offseason as part of the Angels’ roster. However, this wouldn’t last long, as he was again designated for assignment after they acquired slugger Jorge Soler during the first day of the offseason. Another American League West team, the Texas Rangers, then acquired Contreras.

He lasted until December 19 on their 40-man roster, when he was once again put on waivers after the Rangers re-signed Nathan Eovaldi and picked up Jacob Webb, who happened to be one of Contreras’ teammates in 2024 with the Angels. It wouldn’t take long for Contreras to find a new home, as he was then selected off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

Less than a month later, on Jan. 6, Contreras would find himself as the odd-man-out on the Reds’ 40-man roster when they acquired utility man Gavin Lux from the LA Dodgers. The next day, Contreras was then claimed by the Baltimore Orioles. This would end up being his shortest stint, as just 10 days later Contreras was DFA’d to make room for another waiver claim, Jacob Amaya.

A few days later, on the 23rd, Contreras was picked up by the Yankees, the team the Pirates originally acquired him from. But he would later be placed on waivers once again and would head back to Baltimore in early February. There were reports that the O’s wanted to build Contreras up as a starter again in spring training. On top of that, he regained his velocity and then some, sitting at 96.9 MPH with his fastball in spring training. But Contreras would only toss eight innings during the preseason, allowing six earned runs and three home runs. At the end of spring training, the O’s once again designated Contreras for assignment, but this time, he was able to pass through waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.

It’s been a sad (and hard) fall from grace for Contreras. In just two years, he went from a promising young starting pitcher, then part of six different organizations in one year, then going unclaimed on waivers, and sent to Triple-A without being part of a 40-man roster. Contreras is still only 25, and if he can build off of the velocity he flashed in spring training this year, then maybe he can figure things out and eventually find his way back to the Major Leagues. Hopefully, for his sake, Contreras can rediscover what once made him a coveted prospect.