Roa, 26, was a second-round pick by the Reds in 2020 and remained in their system through the 2024 season. The Marlins claimed him off waivers in November of that year, though he spent most of 2025 in the minors before his contract was finally selected in September. He made his big league debut on September 6 and made two appearances for the Marlins, recording three innings and three strikeouts without allowing an earned run, although he did walk three. Roa was optioned back to Triple-A on September 15 and was ultimately elected outright on November 6 before electing to free agency.
During his time at Triple-A, Roa relied on a sinker-slider combination, with the former accounting for 39.7% of his throws and reaching an average speed of 95.6 mph. He used the slider 31.2% of the time, while his 96.0 mph four-seater was his third most used pitch at 21.1%. Over 60 1/3 innings across 50 appearances, Roa posted a 2.83 ERA with a solid 26.1% strikeout rate. However, that performance came in the International League, which is considered the more pitcher-friendly of the two Triple-A leagues. He also walked 11.4% of batters, and his .225 BABIP allowed suggests Roa benefited from good luck.
Still, the solid mix of ERA and high velocity could be intriguing for teams in need of bullpen depth. Roa has less than a year of major league service, so he would get several years of team control. He also has two minor league options remaining and could be shuffled between the majors and Triple-A if necessary.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
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