Astros re-sign pitcher to minor league contract

The Houston Astros on Saturday brought right-handed pitcher Christian Roa back on a minor league contract after he elected free agency following his latest run with the Chicago Cubs organization.

The 2026 season has seen Roa involved in multiple roster transactions. He originally signed a minor league deal with Houston on Dec. 20, 2025, earned a spot on the Astros’ Opening Day roster, and appeared in seven major league games before being designated for assignment on April 21. He then moved through the Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago Cubs organizations after a series of waiver claims before returning to Houston.

During his time with the Astros this season, Roa went 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA over 8 2/3 innings, recording six strikeouts and seven walks. His control issues were evident, as he finished with more walks than strikeouts. Still, his pitch mix continued to draw interest across the league. Roa throws both a four-seam fastball and sinker in the mid-to-upper 90s while also featuring an upper-80s slider and changeup. His slider was his most effective offering with Houston, generating a 35.7% whiff rate while limiting opposing hitters to a .111 batting average.

The 27-year-old has also demonstrated swing-and-miss ability in the minors. Across 15 Triple-A appearances earlier this year, he owns a 30.3% strikeout rate. Before joining the Astros, he made three appearances for the Miami Marlins during the 2025 season, striking out three and walking three across three innings in his first major league action.

Roa, a Houston native, attended Memorial High School before playing college baseball at Texas A&M. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 48th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft and signed for a $1.5 million bonus. Throughout his time in the Reds’ farm system, he compiled a number of impressive seasons, including a 3.56 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 90 innings in 2022 and 170 strikeouts across Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. He also excelled with Triple-A Jacksonville in 2025, finishing with a 9-2 record, a 2.83 ERA, 61 strikeouts and two saves in 57 1/3 innings before making his MLB debut with the Marlins.