The Pirates are planning to add two new arms to their pitching mix, as Z101 Digital’s Hector Gomez (Twitter links) reports that the Bucs will call up right-handers Roansy Contreras and Yerry De Los Santos from Triple-A. De Los Santos isn’t on the 40-man roster, so the Pirates will need to make another corresponding move to create space.
This is the second time that Contreras has been on the big league roster this season, as he posted a 3.52 ERA over 7 2/3 innings of relief work in April. Pittsburgh then sent Contreras down to the minors to get him stretched out as a starting pitcher, and it would appear as though the Bucs will now use Contreras in their rotation. With his last Triple-A game falling on May 19, Contreras would seem to be lined up to start Tuesday when the Pirates host the Rockies at PNC Park.
After also tossing three innings in a single appearance with Pittsburgh in 2021, Contreras may finally be set for more of an extended look in the big leagues. A consensus top-100 prospect in preseason rankings, Fangraphs was the most enthusiastic about Contreras’ potential, ranking him as the 42nd-best minor leaguer in baseball. Contreras added a lot of velocity to his fastball in 2021 and now sits around a 94-96mph average. His slider and curveball are also considered plus pitches, and his changeup has potential, though lacks some consistency.
Contreras was acquired from the Yankees as part of the Jameson Taillon trade package in January 2021, and has now become the most MLB-ready of any pitching prospect in the deep Pirates farm system. Getting Contreras into a starting role would not only be a good sign that the Bucs’ long rebuild is turning a corner, but it is also quite possible that he could provide immediate help. Aside from veteran Jose Quintana, Pittsburgh’s rotation has struggles, so there is plenty of opportunity for Contreras to claim a regular turn.
After signing with the Pirates as an amateur free agent in 2015, the 24-year-old De Los Santos is now getting his first taste of Major League action. While De Los Santos isn’t ranked within the top 30 Pittsburgh prospects by either MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, it isn’t uncommon for relievers to be omitted from those lists, even when a reliever posts De Los Santos’ kinds of eye-popping numbers. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2017, De Los Santos has a 1.63 ERA and 32.3% strikeout rate over 115 2/3 innings — this includes a 1.72 ERA, 34.5% strikeout rate, and 3.4% walk rate over 15 2/3 frames at Triple-A this season.
Where’s Cruz? Half of the current lineup is batting under .180 with no power. This guy needs to be called up now.
He’s not ready. Then again, one could argue for sending the entire Pirates team down to AA if they weren’t a disaster of an organization.
He’s batting .180 in AAA….hes only starting to be consistent with his ABs
He’s been heating up, which is great to see. He’s probably only a week away at this point, if that.
I’m ovbisously thrilled with Contreras’ promotion, but even more so with De Los Santos’ promotion. He has closer potential, though with Bednar (who they probably aren’t going to trade unless there is a massive overpay), I’d gladly take a shutdown 8th inning arm.
Was at today’s schlacking of a game. It was embarrassing. I’m happy about Contreras and De La Santos but Mason Martin, Mitchell and more need promoted as well. Gorski hit 3 more bombs which gives him 17 and he’s 24 years old. Move these guys along faster who deserve it.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Gorski is sent directly to Indy. At the very least, his stint with Altoona shouldn’t be greater than a month, given he keeps hitting well. But I totally agree on Martin. I love Yoshi, but you can’t keep hitting him, even if you’re not going to compete. We also need to DFA VanMeter, and get Bae and Cruz up here.
Yes vanmeter and Yoshi should be gonzo idk how they’re still there just pathetic
On a baseball standpoint Bae deserves a shot. But not sure they want that headache after his doMestic violence arrest. But he’s too talented to just straight cut outright.
Just bought a Pirates jersey, custom lettering, with the name DFA across the back. So you can’t cut him yet.
Well said
Yes exactly Gterm. Also other moves need made as well, can’t keep sending out 4 & 5 guys everyday batting under . 175 or worse. Plus Vanmeter and Yoshi need to go bye bye, these moves already should’ve been made along with Castro and Swidinski need sent back down to Indy to work on their game. Bring up Cal Mitchell and several others tearing it up and they certainly can do no worse than . 175 They need New Life on the team quick
Ask and you shall receive. Gorski got moved up too.
Look at Santos record since 2017. WHY HAS THIS GUY BEEN KEPT IN AAA? Watching this team, somebody seems to be evaluating talent incorrectly. I wish the Pirate brass would stop worrying about spin rates, ground ball rates, velocity and all kinds of other BS.How about promoting on: ARE YOU THROWING STRIKES, GETTING OUTS, AND WINNING.Seems to me a large, large number of their pitcher castoffs are having great success elsewhere because their teams care only about THROWING STRIKES, GETTING OUTS, AND WINNING.
I hope this means Hembree is DFA.
Hembree needs to go 8.00 ERA lol
Yes exactly Gterm. Also other moves need made as well, can’t keep sending out 4 & 5 guys everyday batting under . 175 or worse. Plus Vanmeter and Yoshi need to go bye bye, these moves already should’ve been made along with Castro and Swidinski need sent back down to Indy to work on their game. Bring up Cal Mitchell and several others tearing it up and they certainly can do no worse than . 175 They need New Life on the team quick
Also Blake Sabol needs brought up: 104ab .317av 5hr 21rbi 2sb .958ops
He has to work on his position a bit more. 10% of runners thrown out is pretty bad. If it doesn’t improve, I wonder if they will look at a position change.
Yes they have already. He’s been playing in Right field for a while now
He’s only played one game in the outfield this year, and that was in left field. He also only played 14 games in the grass last year. Sabol isn’t a great fielder, but neither is Perez nor Heineman. If he can put up comprable defense to those two and continue to hit, he’ll be a massive upgrade over what they have.
Yes correct my bad! I meant to type they’re working on him playing outfield at different positions for a while but he hasn’t actually done it. I’m so anxious to have any life of offense up here at the big show I’m losing my mind! LOL! As soon as I see lineup posted I’m like you got to be kidding me? Lol
The Pirates absoultey could do a big roster overhaul, getting Bae, Martin, Mitchell, and Cruz in the line-up, and Bolton, Alldred, and Mcgough on the pitching staff.
The one guy I would like to see get some regular playing time is Andres Alvarez, regardless of league. At this rate, he’ll get to the 20/20 club with under 200 at-bat’s for the season. I can understand it’s difficult to get Alvarez and Trillo some playing time with all of the top notch prospects.
End of season roster is gonna be night and day from what they opened the season with this year. Seems like this year will (eventually) be the “let the prospects get their feet wet” year and next season should be the start of trying to compete. The million dollar question in my opinion is whether or nor the front office augments the roster with starter caliber free agents on multi-year deals this offseason, particularly on the pitching side.
Alvarez will get regular run once Tucker, Newman and VanMeter are gone. Not sure why there is so much deadweight at the middle infield spots in the major league and AAA levels but it’s creating a huge logjam.
I think they were trying to build up some value on Newman, Tucker, and VanMeter before moving them along for some talent, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen. I thought a good trade partner for the Pirates for one of those three would be the Angels.
I love to hate on the Angels and their mismanagement of money and their buffoon of a manager, but they just had a 22yr old kid throw a no-hitter. He would still be ‘developing’ in the Bucs system, ‘not ready’, etc.
Roster is made up of too many no value players like you mentioned.
Nice to see the PT fans so excited about promoting their prospects, Been a while
It really has been. It’s been bad enough that the major league teams haven’t been good, but there hasn’t been hope in the horizon either. Now there actually is.
Trouble with these promotions is now they will be exposed to Shelton and Marin’s inexplicable baseball ideas and usage. Whenever managers and coaches think they are smarter than the game it creates problems. I don’t think Shelton even understands how shifts work since opposing teams beat them with regularity.
They made changes to the shift in the current CBA. It’s not a full shift anymore. I am having a hard time understanding the new rules to the shift myself. Every new CBA has its kinks, and this one has quite a few.