During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster.

Player: Roansy Contreras

Position: Pitcher

Throws: Right

Age: 24

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 205 pounds

2023 MLB statistics: Went 3-7 with a 6.59 ERA and 1.57 WHIP, 55 strikeouts and 32 walks in 68 1/3 innings over 19 appearances, including 11 starts.

Contract: Not eligible for arbitration until 2026.

Acquired: From the New Yankees, along with Miguel Yajure, Canaan Smith-Njigba and Maikol Escotto, in a trade for pitcher Jameson Taillon in January 2021.

This past season: After going 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 21 appearances in 2022, Contreras entered spring training with his eyes on winning a spot in the starting rotation — if not atop it.

“My mindset is always to win a spot and not feel like I earned a spot already or for sure in the rotation,” Contreras said through translator Stephen Morales. “I keep my mindset to come here and work hard every day and not think about a spot in that rotation. That way, I can be the best version of myself every day.”

By midseason, Contreras was no longer in the majors.

He spent the offseason working on a changeup and planned to use his playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic as a chance to pick the brain of NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

The Ro Show.

Roansy Contreras was lights out in a win for the Dominican Republic. ????????#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/QWIRrbEdID

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) March 15, 2023

The early returns were impressive.

Contreras got off to a good start, going 3-1 with a 3.58 ERA in April as the Pirates had the best record in the National League through the first month of the season.

Roansy Contreras, Chalked 95mph Fastball. ???? pic.twitter.com/f4efWcOa0w

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 26, 2023

Roansy Contreras, Wicked Sliders. ???? pic.twitter.com/5mDcruTTD2

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 2, 2023

But Contreras lost his next six decisions, allowing opponents to slash .303/.378/.564 with 11 home runs. The Pirates planned to move Contreras to the bullpen before Vince Velasquez re-injured his right elbow, weakening a rotation that already lost JT Brubaker.

They had no choice after June 7, when Contreras allowed seven runs on six hits and two walks in a 9-5 loss to the Oakland A’s, who had baseball’s worst record.

“For some reason, it was hard for me to get into a rhythm,” Contreras said. “I felt like my body wasn’t connected to my arm, and it was hard for me to make pitches.”

Here’s the worst part: That damage was done in one-third of an inning.

“You definitely feel uncomfortable after coming out of the game so early,” Contreras said. “That gives you room to think about all the stuff that you did or you could do, but it’s part of the game. Just continue to work hard, and we’re going to be a lot better.”

But Contreras only continued to get pounded, as his fastball velocity dipped from an average of 95.6 mph in 2022 to 94.3, registering 91.7 at its lowest. Opponents hit it at a .381 clip. Finally, the Pirates moved Contreras to a relief role on June 11.

“We’re going to give him a chance to help us in that way,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “He’s just gotten himself in a situation where he’s not in his best form. … We’ll take the gas off, so to speak. We’re confident Roansy will respond to this.”

Instead, Contreras continued to struggle until the Pirates optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis on July 6. Eight days later, he was sent to Pirate City in Bradenton to rework his mechanics.

“He’s trying to fix something that probably has been bothering him a little bit,” Cherington said. “It’s not injury related; it deals with how he moves, which affects his delivery on the mound. He’s trying to address that in a controlled setting in Florida. … We decided to take a step back with him and try to address something. Rather than look for Band-Aids and have him pitch in Triple-A and hope he pitches better, we decided to take a slight detour and get after some work.”

After several weeks working on his delivery, Contreras tossed two scoreless innings in a start for Low-A Bradenton. He returned to Indianapolis in early August and posted a 2.81 ERA and 1.00 WHIP and held hitters to a .182 batting average in 16 innings over four appearances in Triple A. But September saw him slip, as he was hit at a .277 clip and had a 7.02 ERA in 16 2/3 innings over four games.

The future: Contreras could be the wild card to the Pirates’ rotation next season. He’s young, having just turned 24 on Nov. 7. He’s talented, as evidenced by his success in 2022 and the first month of last season.

But his command and velocity issues are troubling.

The Pirates have placed a priority on acquiring starting pitching this offseason, with manager Derek Shelton repeatedly saying that Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo were his only reliable options over the final two months last season.

Where Contreras was once considered a potential top-of-the-rotation starter, he now has to prove himself all over again.

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