MLB Trade News: Angels Acquire Former Top Pitching Prospect From Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates once hoped that the now-24-year-old Dominican would be a big part of their big league rotation in the future. But now, completely out of minor league options, the Pirates have had to give up on Roansy Contreras, trading him to the Los Angeles Angels.

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: RHP Roansy Contreras has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels per @AlexJStumpf pic.twitter.com/24x8hYS8yy
— The Bucco Beat (@TheBuccoBeat) May 16, 2024

The former Top 100 prospect in all of baseball was designated for assignment on Saturday by the Buccos.

This season, in 16 innings with the big club, Contreras posted a 4.41 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP. He made 18 starts for the Pirates in 2022, and his performance (3.79 ERA) seemed to be promising as he came into the season as the team's No. 5 prospect, top 100 in baseball.

But he followed that up with a very inconsistent 2023, with a 6.59 ERA and trips back to the minors.

Contreras will get a shot in the Angels' bullpen now, as he cannot be sent to the minors. The team DFA'd Amir Garrett to make room on the 40-man roster, and optioned right-hander

to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room in the bullpen.

At his best, Contreras was described as a prospect in 2022 as having an explosive fastball that touched 97-98 mph "with ease" and averaged around 96 mph "with excellent life and high spin rates". He also has both a high-spin 80-mph curve and a mid-80s slider, showing the ability to miss bats with both of them on a regular basis. That was the word of MLB Pipeline just a couple of years ago. The Angels are banking that he can recapture that form.