Astros’ list spring training invites has possible big league bullpen asset

Minor league free agents who get invites to spring training typically fit into one of two buckets. On one side, you have veterans who were once useful pieces trying to revive their careers, like Brendan Rogers. On the other side, you have once-promising youngsters whose careers never took off. The latter is where Houston Astros bullpen hopeful Christian Roa finds himself.

Once a highly regarded second-round pick of the Cincinnati Reds, topping out as their No. 15 prospect, Roa is one of 10 Astros non-roster invitees who will be competing for big league jobs in spring training. Chances are, there might only be one or two spots that they'll all be vying for.

Roa is something of a feel-good signing. He's from the Houston area and is an Astros fan. He was in attendance for what he calls the greatest baseball game ever played, Game 5 of the 2017 World Series, when Houston downed the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 13-12 thanks to an Alex Bregman 10th inning walk-off homer. He pitched collegiately at Texas A&M.

The 26-year-old landing with the Astros might be a bit more than just a homecoming, however. There's a chance he could find his way into the big league bullpen.

Non-roster invitee Christian Roa could crack the Astros' big league bullpen in 2026

Roa was primarily a reliever in college, making 35 total appearances with 15 of them being starts. His final year in College Station was cut short by the COVID-19 Pandemic and saw him make just four starts.

However, with the Reds, he was primarily a starter throughout the minors. He really struggled as he advanced to the upper minors, posting a 5.16 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, and a 5.55 mark in Triple-A in 2024. Landing with the Miami Marlins last offseason, Roa was finally used exclusively out of the bullpen and showed promise.

He threw 60.1 innings and posted a 2.83 ERA for Miami's Triple-A affiliate, and then got the call for his big league debut, tossing three scoreless frames.

Roa features a big fastball that consistently registers 97 miles per hour on the gun, and supports it with a sinker, breaking ball, and a change-up. The depth of the arsenal is why Cincinnati tried to make him work as a starter for so long. However, out of the bullpen, he can focus more on his two best pitches and hopefully cut down on the walk issues that have plagued most of his professional career.

The arm talent is there, but whether or not he'll get a real shot is the question. Of the Astros' projected big league relievers, only Bryan King has any options remaining. That isn't to say that Houston can't get creative, however.

The Astros plan to employ a six-man rotation in 2026, which would put a lot of stress on their bullpen arms. While the bullpen seems to have immovable pieces, starters like Ryan Weiss and Mike Burrows do have options. Either could be shuffled to the minors with Nate Pearson getting a start here or there to cover them, while a minor league arm like Roa is brought up to keep the pen fresh.

That doesn't mean that Roa would get a sustainable workload, but if he impresses, he could push Rule 5 pick Ruddery Muñoz or even Pearson off the roster for good. First step is to have an impressive spring, and then take it from there.