The Orioles introduced that they’ve claimed right-hander Roansy Contreras off waivers from the Reds. Cincinnati had designated him for task earlier this week. With the intention to open a roster spot, the O’s designated infielder Liván Soto for task.
Contreras, 25, has been bouncing across the league over the previous yr. That’s doubtless a mirrored image of his uneven efficiency and out-of-options standing. He made his main league debut with the Pirates and had some intriguing outcomes with them, however exhausted his remaining choice in 2023. He opened final yr with Pittsburgh however was designated for task in Might and flipped to the Angels. He spent the remainder of the season with the Halos however was placed on waivers in October and claimed by the Rangers. He went to the Reds on one other waiver declare final month and has now been claimed once more.
A notable Yankee prospect, Contreras was flipped to Pittsburgh within the January 2021 commerce that despatched Jameson Taillon to the Bronx. In 2022, he appeared to ascertain himself as a viable massive league starter. He made 21 appearances for the Pirates that yr, 18 of these being begins, tossing 95 innings whereas permitting 3.79 earned runs per 9. His 21.1% strikeout charge and 9.6% stroll charge had been pretty near league par whereas his fastball averaged 95.6 miles per hour. Since he was solely 22 years previous on the time, it appeared honest to anticipate that was just the start.
However issues have soured since then. Contreras posted a 6.59 ERA in 2023, which prompted the Bucs to ship him to the minors, burning his remaining choice. They moved him to a major aid position in 2024 however, as talked about, bumped him off the roster in Might.
Between the Bucs and the Angels, he had some satisfactory however not excellent outcomes. He completed the yr with 68 1/3 innings between the 2 golf equipment and a 4.35 ERA. However his 18.8% strikeout charge and 10.4% stroll charge had been each subpar. His .265 batting common on balls in play and 75.1% strand charge had been each on the lucky aspect, resulting in his 5.16 FIP and 4.55 SIERA being worse than his ERA.
Regardless of the up-and-down outcomes, Contreras continues to be younger and throws laborious, averaging virtually 95 mph final yr with each his four-seamer and his sinker. He has simply over two years of MLB service time, that means he will be retained for 4 seasons earlier than he would qualify without cost company. The truth that he’s out of choices implies that he’ll want a roster spot on Opening Day however the Orioles may additionally attempt to run him by means of waivers later within the offseason to retain him as non-roster depth.
As for Soto, 25 in June, the Orioles appear to partaking in some form of contest to see what number of instances they’ll bump him on and off the roster. That is the sixth time he’s been designated for task previously yr, three of these coming by the hands of the Orioles, two from the Angels and one from the Reds.
He has a robust .351/.407/.494 batting line, although in a small pattern of 87 plate appearances over the previous three massive league seasons. In 370 Triple-A plate appearances final yr, he slashed .283/.377/.381 for a 103 wRC+. He didn’t produce a lot energy, hitting 4 homers in 88 video games, however his 12.4% stroll charge and 16.8% strikeout charge had been each sturdy numbers.
The O’s will now have every week to both commerce Soto or run him by means of waivers. For the reason that waiver course of takes 48 hours, any commerce talks would wish to return collectively within the subsequent 5 days. He nonetheless has one choice yr and loads of minor league expertise on the three infield positions to the left of first base. He appears to be a preferred depth goal across the league so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him acquired by one other membership within the coming days.
