A shocking trade in the National League Central Division resulted in a former Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect getting booted from a 40-man roster for the second time in less than a month.
After claiming him off waivers from the Texas Rangers Dec. 19, the Cincinnati Reds have already designated right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras for assignment to make room on their 40-man roster for utility player Gavin Lux, whom they acquired via trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Contreras is out of minor-league options, so he Reds will now have five days to trade him or put him on waivers. The latter seems most likely, which would make it Contreras' third time on the waiver wire in as many months.
Former Pirates top prospect Roansy Contreras gets DFA'd by NL Central rival
Contreras, originally acquired by the Pirates from the New York Yankees as part of the Jameson Taillon trade back in 2021, ranked as high as No. 71 in MLB Pipeline's Top-100 prospects list in 2022. He made his Major League debut with Pittsburgh that same year and turned in a 3.79 ERA across 95 innings in his first MLB season. However, his production has taken a nosedive in the two seasons since, ultimately causing the Pirates to move on from him.
In 2023, Contreras posted an ERA near 7.00 across 68 1/3 MLB innings, marking the beginning of the end of his time in Pittsburgh. The Pirates kept him as a member of their bullpen to begin the 2024 season, but he pitched just 12 times in relief before they took him off the roster. Pittsburgh traded Contreras for cash in May to the Los Angeles Angels, where he finished out the year as a bulk reliever. He posted a 4.33 ERA in 37 appearances with Los Angeles.
Contreras' 18.5% strikeout percentage, 10.5% walk rate and 1.4 home runs allowed per nine are all worse than the respective league averages, but his age, versatility and pedigree as a former top prospect could make him an appealing option for teams looking to add an affordable depth arm this offseason.
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