Former Angels Pitcher DFA'd Following Blockbuster Trade

Maren Angus-Coombs | 21 Hours Ago

Jul 9, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Roansy Contreras (57) sits in the dugout after he was pulled in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Roansy Contreras' offseason has been quite the adventure and it hit another roadblock on Monday when the Cincinnati Reds designated him for assignment.

The former Los Angeles Angels right-hander finds himself looking for employment again after the Reds acquired second baseman Gavin Lux from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Reds announce Lux deal.

Reds DFA pitcher Roansy Contreras to make room on 40-man. Contreras was claimed off waivers last month from Rangers.

— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) January 7, 2025

Contreras, who was recently claimed by the Reds off waivers from the Rangers, Texas hasn't spent much time with Cincinnati. Prior to that, he was claimed by Texas from the Angels just a month ago.

The 25-year-old right-hander may be headed for the waiver wire again, marking a third move in as many months.

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Contreras, once a Top 100 prospect with the Pittsburgh Pirates, began his MLB career with promise but struggled to maintain his spot in the rotation. After starting the 2023 season on the Pirates' Opening Day roster, he was designated for assignment in May. He then joined the Angels, spending the remainder of the season in their bullpen.

In 2024, Contreras posted a 2-4 record with a 4.35 ERA over 49 games (including three starts) and 68.1 innings. He also recorded two saves during the season.

Since the start of the 2023 season, Contreras has posted a 5.47 ERA over 136.2 innings. His strikeout rate (18.5 percent) and walk rate (10.5 percent) fall below MLB averages, as does his 1.4 home runs allowed per nine innings.

Given his struggles and the challenge of sending him to the minors without waivers, he may continue moving around the league. However, Contreras remains intriguing to some teams due to his velocity (around 95 MPH on his fastball) and his mix of six pitches.

The six-pitch mix Contreras relies on includes a four-seam fastball, sinking fastball, slider, curveball, sweeper, and changeup. He often favors his fastball and slider, though he’s shown flexibility by using more breaking balls in certain situations. While this approach has had some success, hitters posted a .274 average and .645 slugging percentage against his slider last season, signaling room for improvement in his pitch command and effectiveness.

Contreras was traded from the New York Yankees to the Pirates in the deal for Jameson Taillon. He had a solid 2022 debut season with a 3.79 ERA but struggled over the past two years, with an ERA near 7.00 in 2023. After exhausting his minor league options, he spent 2024 in the Pirates’ bullpen before being traded to the Angels. Contreras finished the year with a 4.33 ERA in long relief for the Halos.

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