Luis Contreras’ run in professional baseball is over.
The 30-year-old right-hander announced his retirement on Sunday, July 26, saying in an Instagram post that he is moving into coaching after an eight-year playing career that included 14 appearances with the Houston Astros over the past 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 the majors.
His path to Houston was anything but direct. A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, Contreras signed with the Chicago Cubs in April 2015, then was released in May 2016 and spent the next three years out of affiliated baseball.
Milwaukee gave him another shot in 2019, and he climbed back through the minors as a reliever. He didn’t reach Triple-A until he was 26 in 2022, when he posted an 8.00 ERA in his first taste of the level. He was better in 2023 with the Nashville Sounds, going 4-2 with a 4.76 ERA in 26 games.
After that season, Contreras elected free agency and signed with the Astros in 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, a 26 percent strikeout rate and a 9.1 percent walk rate in 19 1/3 innings.
Contreras opened his big league career with four scoreless, low-leverage outings out of Houston’s bullpen. Then came the rough night in Minnesota on July 5, 2024, when the Twins tagged him for six runs on six hits and a walk. He spent the rest of that season back in the minors.
Last year, Contreras made nine appearances for the Astros and kept the ball quiet in five of them. The other four, though, pushed his season ERA to 6.75 before Houston designated him for assignment in an August roster move.
The Astros let him go into free agency after the season, and he never landed another affiliated job. He did have a brief stint in the Venezuelan Winter League last offseason, but that was the end of the line in organized baseball.
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