Former Top Prospect Ready to Thrive in Batilmore: Orioles Claims Intriguing Pitcher Off Waivers, Bolstering Rotation

One of the biggest needs that the Baltimore Orioles had entering the offseason was to upgrade their pitching staff.

That became an even bigger need when their ace, Corbin Burnes, departed in free agency, agreeing to a massive six-year, $210 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

To this point, the team hasn’t made any major splashes, instead opting to make some solid depth additions. Veteran Charlie Morton was signed away from the Atlanta Braves and Tomoyuki Sugano was brought over from the NPB.

Another intriguing addition was made on Friday, as the Orioles claimed former top prospect Roansy Contreras off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds, who had designated him for assignment earlier in the week.

In a corresponding move, Baltimore designated Livan Soto for assignment to open up a roster spot for their newest addition.

It has been a whirlwind of an offseason for Contreras, who was claimed by the Texas Rangers on Oct. 31 from the Los Angeles Angels. Just a few weeks later, he was claimed by the Reds, where he lasted less than a month on their roster before landing with the Orioles.

In 2024, he started with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he pitched 12 games out of the bullpen before being purchased by the Angels.

Overall, he was solid out of the bullpen, making 46 appearances and pitching 60.2 innings, registering a 3.86 ERA with 52 strikeouts. His performance as a starter was not good, as he had an 8.22 ERA in three starts across only 7.2 innings.

The Orioles must have seen something that they liked to claim him off waivers and clear a roster spot to bring him aboard. There could certainly be untapped potential, as he turned only 25 years old in November and was one of the best prospects in baseball pre-2022.

Contreras was a consensus top-100 prospect, being ranked as highly as No. 71 as a member of the New York Yankees. He was traded to the Pirates as part of the package to bring Jameson Taillon from the Pirates to the Bronx.

Without any remaining options, he is an intriguing addition because he still has four seasons of team control before he hits free agency. With an average fastball and sinker velocity of 95 MPH, there are some tools to work with as Baltimore is hoping to find a diamond in the rough on the waiver wire.