Astros sign former Reds draft bust that feels more sentimental than strategic

The Houston Astros continued to bolster their pitching staff with the addition of Christian Roa. A former second-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds back in 2020, Roa signed a minor-league deal with the Astros and will presumably receive a non-roster invite to spring training.

Minor-league deals are hardly going to make or break a roster, but the addition of Roa reads more like a feel-good story than an actual baseball move. The right-hander is from the Houston area and played college ball at Texas A&M, but his journey through the professional circuit has been mostly disappointing.

Astros sign former Reds draft bust (and Houston native) Christian Roa to minor-league deal

Though not one of the top arms in the 2020 MLB Draft, Roa generated quite a buzz at the outset of the college baseball season. He dominated his first two starts for Aggies before the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down. Roa flashed enough during Texas A&M's first four games for the Reds to take him with the 48th pick that year.

Of course, like so many picks that year, Roa's selection was veiled in mystery. With only four starts under his belt, it was difficult for scouts to correctly gauge his talents. Once he appeared in the Reds' minor leagues, it was apparent that Cincinnati made a grave mistake selecting him so high while pitchers like Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder, and Kyle Harrison were drafted a couple rounds later.

Despite his shortcomings in the minors, Roa was added to the Reds roster shortly before becoming eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. He was later jettisoned and picked up by the Miami Marlins in 2024. The right-hander made his Major League debut this past season and appeared in two games for the Fish before being designated for assignment once again.

The Astros will hope to see some of the qualities that earned him a $1.5 million signing bonus in 2020. Roa's minor league stat line was much improved last season after being moved into a permanent relief role. A starter throughout most of his professional career, Roa posted a 2.83 ERA across 60⅓ innings and racked up 64 punch outs while working as a reliever.

Roa is still pre-arb eligible and has Minor League options remaining. If he can break camp with the big-league club, the Astros may have found a valuable bullpen piece they can yo-yo back and forth between the major and minor leagues next season.