Luis Contreras is calling it a career.
The former Astros right-hander announced his immediate retirement from professional baseball in a heartfelt Instagram post on Sunday, July 26, closing the book on an eight-year run that included 14 appearances for Houston over the last two seasons.
“Today, I officially retire from my playing career and begin my journey as a coach,” Contreras wrote. “Baseball has given me far more than I ever could have imagined.
Now it’s my turn to give back. I can’t wait to pour everything I’ve learned into the next generation and help others chase their own dreams.”
Contreras leaves the game with a 0-0 record and a 7.50 ERA in his MLB career.
A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Contreras first signed with the Chicago Cubs in April 2015. Chicago released him in May 2016, and he spent the next three years away from affiliated baseball.
His path back started in 2019, when the Milwaukee Brewers gave him another shot. From there, he climbed the minor league ladder as a reliever and eventually reached Triple-A for the first time in 2022 at age 26. That first taste of the level was rough, as he posted an 8.00 ERA, but he settled in the following season with Nashville, going 4-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 26 games.
After the 2023 season, Contreras elected free agency and signed with the Astros that November. He earned his first major league call-up in June 2024 after putting together a strong stretch at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he logged a 1.40 ERA with a 26 percent strikeout rate and a 9.1 percent walk rate in 19 1/3 innings.
His first run in Houston was promising. Contreras threw four scoreless, low-leverage appearances to open his MLB career.
But one rough outing in Minnesota on July 5, 2024 changed the tone quickly, as the Twins tagged him for six runs on six hits and a walk. He spent the rest of that season back in the minors.
Over nine appearances for the Astros last year, Contreras was scoreless in five of them, but the other four outings pushed his ERA to 6.75 before he was designated for assignment during an August roster crunch.
Houston let him go into free agency after the season, and he did not land another affiliated baseball job after a brief stint in the Venezuelan Winter League last offseason.
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