Roansy Contreras

Roansy Contreras

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.

• Debut September 29, 2021

• Born November 7, 1999 in Peralvillo, Monte Plata D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Roansy Contreras was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent on July 2, 2016. He began his professional career the following year, 2017, at age 17, with the DSL Yankees. Before the end of that summer, he had been promoted to the United States, pitching for the GCL Yankees East. Between the two teams, his record was 4-4, 4.02 in 14 games. In 2018, he split his time between the Staten Island Yankees in the New York-Penn League and the Charleston RiverDogs of the South Atlantic League, going a combined 0-2, 2.42 in 12 starts. In 2019, he spent a full year at Charleston and was very good, going 12-5, 3.33 in 24 starts, logging 132 1/3 innings and striking out 113 batters against just 36 walks.

Like a large number of other young players making their way up the minor league ladder, Roansy was dealt a blow in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the minor league season, preventing him from pitching anywhere. He was still added to the Yankees' 40-man roster after the season, then on January 24, 2021, he was one of four young players traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates to acquire P Jameson Taillon. Joining him on the trek to the Steel City were P Miguel Yajure, SS Maikol Escotto and OF Canaan Smith, with Yajure the only one of the four with some major league experience.

He made his major league debut with the Pirates in the final days of the 2021 season, starting a game against the Chicago Cubs on September 29th and pitching three scoreless innings. He was 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA for the Indianapolis Indians in 2022 and was 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA (107 ERA+) for the Pirates in 2022. He appeared at that point to be a key building block in the Bucco future.

He was on the Dominican national team for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He started against Israel and dominated, striking out Joc Pederson and Zack Gelof, getting Matt Mervis on a fly, striking out C.J. Stubbs and Alex Dickerson then retiring Danny Valencia. After Spencer Horwitz singled, Contreras got Ty Kelly to hit into a force and Noah Mendlinger flew out. Genesis Cabrera then relieved. Roansy got the win over Jacob Steinmetz.

He was solid in the early going for the Pirates in 2023, with a 3.58 ERA (3-1 record) at the end of April. However, he went 0-6 with a save the rest of the year, his ERA being 8.63 in that period to finish at 6.59. Pittsburgh tried moving him to the bullpen and to the minors but neither helped. There were questions about whether he would even make the Pirates roster in 2024, a year after beginning it as a key part of the rotation. He did make the club and was doing a fair job out of the bullpen (1-0, 4.41 in 12 G). When the Bucs called up top prospect Paul Skenes, though, Contreras was designated for assignment. He wound up being traded to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations, a sign of how far he had fallen in about a year.

Related Sites

• Roansy Contreras on mlb.com
• BR Minors page