Astros Sign Impressive Young Houston Native to Bolster Bullpen Depth

The Houston Astros have landed some serious bullpen depth, and it's a homecoming for one young right-hander.

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The Houston Astros went into the offseason eager to change some things up following their first missed postseason appearance in a decade, however they were always going to be on a financial limit.

Everyone wants to land the superstars at the top of the market, but for Houston -- outside of a surprising landing of Tatsuya Imai -- this winter was going to be more about shedding payroll, getting better both internally and via trade as well as hoping for some better injury luck.

When it comes to the bullpen, it was one of the better areas on the team in 2025, but depth can always be improved. All too often at the MLB level, it's high value minor league signings which end up being the difference maker, and the Astros might have just landed one.

According to the MLB's transaction tracker, the team has signed young right-hander Christian Roa to a minor league agreement which is also a homecoming for the Houston native and former Texas A&M Aggies standout.

Astros Land Christian Roa on Minor League Agreement

Feb 19, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; Miami Marlins pitcher Christian Roa. | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Originally a second round selection in the MLB draft to the Cincinnati Reds back in 2020, Roa spent a number of years in their farm system before being claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2025 season.

Eventually making his big league debut for the Marlins, the 26-year-old put up three scoreless innings across two appearances late in the year. It was his numbers in Triple-A this past season that are extremely intriguing to a team like Houston however.

In 50 appearances out of the bullpen, Roa pitched to a 2.83 ERA and 1.094 WHIP with 64 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched, and this was coming off a dreadful 2024 season in Louisville where he had a 5.55 ERA.

Miami outrighted him after the season came to a conclusion and he elected free agency, and now he winds up back in his home state with a chance to prove he belongs at the MLB level.

Could Roa Contribute to Astros This Season?

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It's unclear whether or not the deal came with an invite to big league spring training, however it seems much more likely than not that this would be the case based on the kind of numbers Roa posted this past season.

Cracking the roster right out of the gate barring a huge spring may be tough, but if Roa continues to post figures like he did this past season, he is absolutely going to get a shot to throw at the MLB level this season.

In what would be a dream situation for the young righty, he would get to do it with his hometown club in Houston. And maybe just maybe, the Astros could wind up benefiting massively as well by giving him a shot.

As spring training approaches just a couple of weeks from now, Roa becomes a name worth keeping an eye on to see if he has a chance to make the roster.