The Orioles claimed Roansy Contreras twice over the offseason. The righty made it to Sarasota, but can he justify a place on the 40-man roster long term?
The modern day waiver wire can swing quickly enough to give any fringe major leaguer whiplash.
The Rangers claimed Roansy Contreras from the Angels on October 31, 2024. Texas designated Contreras for assignment on December 12, and the Reds plucked him off the waiver wire a few days later. Cincinnati attempted to sneak Contreras through waivers on January 6, but the Orioles claimed the 25-year-old during the second week of the new year.
You might think that’s where the story ends. After all, we’re here to break down a current member of Baltimore’s 40-man roster. Unfortunately for Contreras, the waiver wire kept on spinning.
The O’s attempted to sneak Contreras off the 40-man on January 16, but the Yankees had other ideas. New York mimicked the move at the beginning of February, but Baltimore made a second claim on the former Yankee prospect. Eventually, Contreras made his way to Sarasota for spring camp with the Orioles.
There’s always two ways to look at situations like this. Contreras features enough talent that several teams want him in their organization, but the righty quickly becomes expendable when a spot on the 40-man is required. So what is there to like about the 25-year-old starter?
Contreras signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2016. New York sent him to Pittsburgh as a part of the Jameson Taillon deal, and MLB Pipeline ranked Contreras as the Pirates’ fifth best prospect in 2022.
Things initially went well in Pittsburgh. Contreras pitched to a 5-5 record, 3.79 ERA, 1.274 WHIP and 107 ERA+ over 95 innings in 2022. His average fastball velocity sat at 95.6, and his 32.5 chase percentage ranked in the 82 percentile in MLB.
Unfortunately, Contreras hit a wall in 2023. He lost a few ticks on his fastball, and his numbers took a turn for the worse across the board. Pittsburgh initially sent the righty to its Bradenton facility before letting him pitch again at Triple-A. He finished the season with a 3-7 record and a 6.59 ERA over 68.1 big league innings.
The Pirates exhausted his minor league options prior to the 2024 season. Pittsburgh shifted Contreras to a relief role in an effort to keep him on the active roster, but the experiment was short lived. The Pirates DFA’d Contreras to make room for rookie phenom Paul Skenes in May and eventually shipped the former prospect to Los Angeles for cash considerations.
Contreras made three starts and 14 relief appearances for the Angels last season. He posted a 4.33 ERA and 1.288 WHIP over 52 innings, but his 5.19 FIP suggested some good fortune. He relied on a starter’s six-pitch arsenal and never truly embraced a traditional relief role with the Angels.
Brandon Hyde mentioned last week that the Orioles are stretching out Contreras to work as a starter or long reliever. He likely ranks toward the bottom of Baltimore’s starting pitching depth at the moment, but injuries to Trevor Rogers and Chayce McDermott could propel Contreras closer to an emergency appearance for the O’s.
Contreras hit 97 MPH earlier this week against the Red Sox, but Boston tagged him for a pair of homers and four earned runs in one inning of work. That number 97 carries more weight than the number four in a spring training game though.
The best case scenario with Contreras involves the starter rediscovering some magic at Triple-A. Baltimore hopes to experience better pitching health this season, and the Orioles will likely rely on Cade Povich and Albert Suárez as its first line of defense.
Nevertheless, the front office liked Contreras enough to claim him for a second time over the offseason. The Orioles likely have a targeted approach in mind, and the Birds have experienced some success resurrecting pitchers with an analytics-driven approach.
At 25 years old, Contreras could still have a long career ahead of him. The Orioles will look to maximize the talent of a former top 100 prospect, but don’t be entirely surprised if they try to sneak him through waivers again at the end of the month.