Pirates Transfer Roansy Contreras to Florida Complex League

The Pittsburgh Pirates have transferred the option of right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis to the Florida Complex League.

Contreras was optioned to Triple-A on July 6 to make room on the roster for Ke’Bryan Hayes, who was activated off the injured list before quickly landing back on it.

The move may seem like a surprise on the surface, but’s it’s a logical step for the Pirates and for Contreras as they look to get the young right-hander back on track.

It’s not an uncommon practice throughout the league to see this type of decision. The Toronto Blue Jays recently did the same with starting pitcher Alek Manoah amidst his 2023 struggles.

By heading down to Bradenton to the Pirates’ complex, Contreras will be able to focus on working on his delivery, pitch mix, etc., before he again returns to game action at the upper levels.

It’s been a disappointing season for the 23-year-old, who was expected to have a key role in the Pirates’ rotation heading into the season.

Across 19 appearances, Contreras was 3-7 with a 6.59 ERA and only 55 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched. Opponents posted an .826 OPS against him.

Contreras’ struggles reached the point to where he was relegated to the Pirates’ bullpen prior to being sent down to Triple-A earlier this month.

Last season with the Pirates, Contreras was 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA across 21 appearances (18 starts) and held opposing hitters to a .225 batting average.