Angels trade for right-hander Roansy Contreras

May 16th, 2024

The Angels have made a change in their bullpen, acquiring right-hander from the Pirates for cash considerations.

Contreras appeared in 12 games for Pittsburgh this season, allowing eight earned runs and eight walks over 16 1/3 innings while striking out 16. He will fill the spot on the Angels’ 40-man roster that opened once the club designated left-handed reliever Amir Garrett for assignment on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old Contreras was DFA’d by the Pirates on Saturday to make room on the roster for MLB’s No. 1 pitching prospect, Paul Skenes, who made his Major League debut that afternoon.

Contreras was MLB’s No. 71 prospect entering 2022, a year after he struck out 82 batters through 58 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He made his Major League debut near the end of '21, logging three scoreless innings in a start on Sept. 29.

He turned in a 3.79 ERA over 21 games (18 starts) the following season, but he struggled to a 6.59 ERA in 2023. That season included 32 walks through 68 1/3 frames, a 1.57 WHIP and a 7.2 K/9 rate, a significant drop from his 8.8 K/9 rate in the Minors.

Now in his first full season as a reliever, Contreras is unscored upon in eight of his 12 outings and has stranded seven of nine inherited runners.