A Look at Cristián Contreras

[MikeB]

Most see Cristián Contreras as a roster placeholder until Pete Scammell’s bone chips heal. But the 28-year old rookie, now that he has shrugged off the initial nerves of pitching in the big leagues, is the talk of San Juan after his last two outings.

Contreras, who has toiled in the minors for 11 full seasons, was claimed by on waivers from Duluth coming out of spring training. He initially wound up in Santo Domingo (AAA) , where he posted an 0.98 e.r.a. in four starts, before being called up May 27 after Scammell’s elbow flared up.

Contreras prior PEBA experience consisted of one lone appearance when he deftly fired shut out ball for three and two-thirds innings for Reno , allowing just two hits and striking out four. That was three years ago and he hadn’t gotten another shot in the big leagues since.

His long waited return to the PEBA couldn’t have gone worse. He got three looks in April giving up six earned runs in just over three innings. Then, in his callback May 27, he entered with one on and San Juan down 5-0. He gave up a triple, two singles and a homer in his first ten pitches. Two days later he wasn’t much better. Coming in with the Coqui leading comfortably, 5-0, in the ninth he gave up two singles, allowing one run in, before being pulled. Again he lasted just 10 pitches.

While the book on Contreras is that he has had trouble adapting to his teams, his history will tell you he’s also a guy who perseveres. After being signed out of the Mexican Leagues by the Kentucky organization as a 17-year old in 2019, he was thrown in over his head into A ball. He’s e.r.a. as a reliever had hit 7.63 by the time he tore his UCL in July. He bounced back in less than a year from Tommy John surgery and threw 84 innings of relief, again in A ball. His e.r.a. remained an unimpressive 4.61, a figure he matched a year later at age 19.

But he grew up quick and, from ages 19 to 21, he fared well after a promotion to AA, posting a 2.96 e.r.a. and a 9-2 record over three seasons. He began showing signs his fastball could hit 98 regularly and there were indications his curveball and changeup could be big league material as well. He also began emerging as an extreme groundballer, 53.1 percent his first year, 62.9 his second and 71.9 his third. One of those was seasons was cut short by radial nerve damage in his elbow but he returned with no drop-off.

From ages 22 to 24, he was respectable in AAA as a reliever but Kentucky traded him to Reno along with three other players for four mid-round picks. At Reno’s AAA affiliate Glendale he was moved into a starting role, one he adjusted to easily. He had three good pitches and showed he could pitch deep into games. He was named an all-star in 2027 en route to a 9-1, 2.30 mark, a year that included seven saves along with 17 starts. In 2028, he was 6-6, 2.24 as a starter. On September 12, however, he was placed on waivers and claimed by Duluth.

Failure to crack the bigs was clearly eating at him when 2029 began. He struggled at Racine , his third team and sixth year at the level. His achilles heal had always been the base on balls, the obvious reason teams passed on promoting him. His AAA numbers were not terrible at 3.1 BB/9 and his movement had always been good. But at Racine, the balls began flying out of the park, he was demoted to the pen and 2030 began with him getting just two innings of work in spring training before being waived.

The excitement he had when San Juan claimed him dissipated when 13 days later he was sent down to AAA yet again, this time every team in the league passing on him. He bared down and threw a complete game in his first start and failed to allow an earned run in two of his next three. His confidence was high and General Manager Mike Best went with him over younger prospects when the roster spot opened up.

“We wanted to see what we had in him,” said Best. “We figured his 2029 was an aberration. His other numbers had been good. He was throwing well and he had nothing left to prove at AAA. The plan is to give him a chance and realistically, this is probably it for him.”

When Contreras took the mound a third time, June 1, his e.r.a. was at 24.55. It looked like another garbage situation, starter Juan Santana having been pulled in the fourth and San Antonio already up 6-0. Contreras struck out two to end the fourth. He walked the first batter in the fifth on four pitches, his first major league walk, and one could hear the doubting scouts nodding their heads. But seven strikes later he’d gotten out of the inning on two ground balls, the second netting the double play. He threw only eight pitches in the sixth and thirteen in the seventh, when he struck out two more.

By then San Juan had climbed back in at 6-5 and Manager Sergio Manetti decided it was a José Gómez game at that point and sent Contreras to the showers with some strong words of support. San Juan would win in the 10th, 8-6.

Three days later, on June 4, Manetti would show some real faith in his new hurler. With San Juan leading 3-1 in the fifth against mighty West Virginia , the manager gave Contreras the ball with the bases loaded and no one out. Contreras struck out Bill Carter on four pitches. He then got Don Mercer to ground back to the mound and the pitcher threw the runner out at home. He then K’d Kokei Nishikawa on three pitches .

The manager continued to show faith in for the sixth even after Contreras gave up three hits and a walk (but just one run) before striking out Carter again to get out of the inning. San Juan hung on for a 3-2 win.

“Obviously the Alleghanies could have done some real damage,” said Manetti afterward. “The kid miraculously got us out of one jam, not of his making, and then another of his own. That’s tenacity.”

Time will tell whether the 6’2” 260-pound righty has finally escaped the minor leagues or whether this will be the highlight of his career. But for the moment he’s enjoying being the talk of the local sports tabloids.

[DrewV]

Great job Mike!

I remember being happy to get Cristian off wavers, and bummed he couldn't cut the mustard for Duluth. Our scout still likes him.