Angels Acquire RHP Roansy Contreras From Pirates

The Los Angeles Angels have traded for right-handed reliever Roansy Contreras from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for cash considerations. Contreras, 24, is in his third full-length Major League campaign and was designated for assignment by the Pirates to make room for top prospect Paul Skenes on the 40-man roster.

Contreras provides the Angels with an up-close look at an intriguing young pitcher. He had pitched 16.1 innings with the Pirates this season, posting a 4.41 ERA and 1.653 WHIP with 16 strikeouts and eight walks. He had been primarily a starter in each of the last two seasons, but phased into the bullpen towards the end of 2023.

He was at his best when he was a full-time starter in 2022, the only full season with an ERA+ above the league average of 100. However, he is striking batters out at a higher rate than he has ever before and seems to be improved from a dismal 2023 campaign.

Contreras was the No. 71 prospect in MLB 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 2021, logging three scoreless innings in a start on Sep. 29.

He posted a 3.79 ERA over 21 games (18 starts) the following season — his best in the Majors — but he followed that up with 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.

Angels searching for answers among second-chance players

It didn’t take long for the injury bug to strike the Angels. Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Luis Rengifo, Miguel Sanó, Robert Stephenson and more are players that the Angels came in to the season with and have all spent significant time on the injured list. Some of those — Rendon, Trout and Stephenson — are out indefinitely. So manager Ron Washington and company had to find a new path forward.

And when the Angels’ dismal organization depth was tested, Perry Minasian quickly had to look at other organizations. Since Opening Day, the Angels have brought in Amir Garrett, Cole Tucker, Kevin Pillar, Willie Calhoun, Luis Guillorme, Niko Goodrum and now Contreras into the mix. All of these players were cast aside by several organizations within the last year, but have found second-chance homes with the Angels.

Unfortunately, the Angels are relying on these players to have career renaissances just to keep the team afloat. And that’s the dilemma Washington discussed as that group becomes more integral to the team’s day-to-day operation.