Just a day after the Dodgers clinched the World Series, the Texas Rangers began their offseason efforts to recover from a significant decline in 2024. They kicked off their retooling by claiming former top pitching prospect Roansy Contreras off waivers from the Angels.
Contreras, who was once ranked the 71st best prospect in baseball and fifth in the Pirates organization in 2022, showed promise as a young arm with a 3.79 ERA over 95 innings and a WHIP of 1.27 during his rookie season. However, he faced challenges soon after.
In 2023, Contreras made the Opening Day roster, but his performance quickly deteriorated, leading to a shutdown and a stint in the Florida Complex League. He eventually returned to Triple-A but struggled with poor results and declining velocity.
By 2024, his velocity returned to 2022 levels, and he was given a chance in the Pittsburgh bullpen. In 16.1 innings, he had a .288 opponent batting average and a WHIP of 1.65 before being designated for assignment.
The Angels picked him up, and he had a solid showing in the big leagues, recording a 4.33 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a .223 opponent batting average over 52 innings.
Now with the Rangers, Contreras brings six pitches to the table. In 2024, his slider had the worst Run Value at -7, despite being his best pitch in 2022 and 2023. His fastball’s Run Value improved from -15 in 2023 to 2 in 2024.
If he can consistently throw strikes and reduce his walk rate, which exceeded 10%, he could become an effective pitcher again. Spring Training will be crucial for Contreras as the Rangers evaluate his potential impact in 2025.
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