Pirates GM Ben Cherington introduced to Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Evaluation (hyperlinks to X) and different reporters that right-hander Roansy Contreras has been designated for task. This transfer opens up a roster spot for Paul Skenes, because the star prospect is set to make his Main League debut in at present’s recreation towards the Cubs. Cherington additionally revealed that third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has been positioned on the 10-day injured record because of a nasty again, and infielder Alika Williams has been known as up from Triple-A to take Hayes’ spot on the energetic roster.
It wasn’t way back that Contreras was a notable prospect in his personal proper, checking into the again finish of top-100 lists from Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and MLB Pipeline previous to the 2022 season. Acquired from the Yankees as a part of the four-player return within the Jameson Taillon commerce within the 2020-21 offseason, Contreras elevated his inventory in his first season in Pittsburgh’s farm system, culminating in reaching the massive leagues for one recreation earlier than the 2021 marketing campaign was over. The righty then posted a 3.79 ERA in 95 innings (beginning 18 of 21 video games) in 2022, and regarded like a promising constructing block throughout the Pirates’ rotation heading into 2023.
Sadly, issues then went south for Contreras throughout a disastrous season. He posted a 6.59 ERA over 68 1/3 MLB innings, and first misplaced his rotation job with a demotion to the bullpen, after which was optioned again to Triple-A altogether and didn’t pitch once more within the majors after July 5. The transfer to Triple-A didn’t get Contreras on observe, as he had a 4.96 ERA over 32 2/3 frames for Indianapolis. Contreras additionally spent a while going absolutely again to the drafting board with the Pirates’ Advanced League workforce, attempting to work out the mechanical issues that led to such points a drop in his strikeout charge, a rise in his stroll charge, and a minor velocity drop on his fastball.
Pitching out of the Pittsburgh bullpen this season, Contreras’ bottom-line numbers improved to the tune of a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings, and his strikeout charge rose from 18.2% in 2023 to 21.6% this yr. It nonetheless isn’t precisely an attention-grabbing set of outcomes, and the Pirates have seen sufficient to really feel snug in presumably dropping Contreras to the waiver wire. Whereas the righty is out of minor league choices and thus needed to be DFA’ed to be able to be despatched to Triple-A, it nonetheless counts as a little bit of a shock to see the Bucs doubtlessly transfer on from a 24-year-old who confirmed such potential as lately as 2022. Odds are that Contreras can be claimed away for nothing until the Pirates can get some sort of commerce return from a very workforce earlier than the tip of Contreras’ DFA interval.
Extra to come back…
