Reds claim former Pirates top prospect off waivers

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday afternoon that the club had claimed former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Roansy Contreras off waivers. The right-hander pitched for both the Buccos and the Los Angeles Angels this past season before joining the Texas Rangers during the offseason. Contreras non-tendered by the Rangers just last week.

Contreras will be a relatively familiar name to a lot of fans throughout Reds Country due to his long tenure with the Pirates. The right-hander originally signed as an international free agent by the New York Yankees, but was dealt to Pittsburgh as part of the Jameson Taillon trade in 2021.

Reds claim former Pirates prospect Roansy Contreras off waivers

Contreras was a top-5 organizational prospect for the Pirates back in 2022. Over his first four major league seasons, however, Contreras owns a rather unsightly 4.72 ERA in 90 appearances. After 16 appearances with the Pirates last season saw him allow 10.5 hits per nine innings, Contreras was designated for assignment when Paul Skenes was called up to make his big league debut.

Contreras used to possess top-end velocity, but his average fastball sat in the mid-90s last season. Contreras began to utilize a sinker more in 2024 and saw his ground ball rate increase from 39.3% to 45.4%. If that trend continues, Contreras could find some measure of success inside the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.

It's quite likely that Contreras will look to find a home in the Reds' bullpen. Though he has starting experience, those spots are spoken for. The Reds, however, would seem to have a handful of openings within the relief corps, especially with Nick Martinez likely to operate as a starter. The Reds also lost both Justin Wilson and Buck Farmer this offseason to free agency, and will need several relievers to step up and eat innings in 2025.

The addition of Contreras brings the Reds roster to 39, meaning that Cincinnati does not need to make a corresponding move. This is low-risk move on the part of the Reds, but one that could pay dividends if Contreras returns to his 2022 form.

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