Former Angels Pitcher Cut By AL West Rival

Maren Angus-Coombs | Dec 17, 2024

Aug 29, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Roansy Contreras (57) pitches in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers made room for former Los Angeles Angels reliever Jacob Webb by designating another former Halo for assignment.

Webb needed a 40-man roster spot and the Rangers cut ties with right-hander Roansy Contreras before he ever appeared in a game with Texas.

Contreras is leaving the Rangers’ roster just six weeks after joining. Texas claimed him off waivers from the Angels early in the offseason, but it was always possible he wouldn’t remain on the roster through the winter.

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The right-hander spent part of the 2024 season with the Angels, going 1-4 in three starts and 37 appearances. Contreras converted two of three save opportunities and finished with an earned run average of 4.33 over 52 innings.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Contreras has posted a 5.47 ERA across 136.2 innings. His 18.5 percent strikeout rate and 10.5 percent walk rate fall below MLB averages, and he’s allowing 1.4 home runs per nine innings.

Contreras' struggles and the fact that he can’t be sent to the minors without clearing waivers makes him a candidate to keep bouncing around the league. That said, his arsenal should still draw interest as a depth option. Contreras averages 95 mph on his four-seam fastball and mixes in six different pitches.

At 25 years old, Contreras was once considered one of baseball's top pitching prospects. Originally part of the Yankees’ system, he became a centerpiece in the trade that sent Jameson Taillon to New York.

Contreras had a promising debut with the Pirates in 2022, delivering a 3.79 ERA over 95 innings and looking like a future rotation staple. However, his performance took a significant downturn over the next two seasons.

In 2023, Contreras struggled, posting an ERA close to 7.00 over 68.1 innings in the majors and exhausting his final minor league option. The Pirates used him out of the bullpen to start the 2024 season, where he made 12 appearances in medium-leverage situations before being removed from the roster.

In May, they traded him to the Angels for cash considerations. He finished the season with the Halos in a long-relief role, recording a 4.33 ERA, though his underlying numbers remained underwhelming.

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