The Cuban right-hander the Houston Astros signed, is not the same Elian you remember from the year 2000. He was not part of the closet raid and eventually sent back to Cuba. Believe it or not, there are probably multiple Elian Rodriguez’s out there. That kid is now 24-25 years old.
According to Ben Badler, the Houston Astros signed Rodriguez to a $2 million dollar agreement to join the organization. Rodriguez is a 6’4” right-handed pitcher who can throw his fastball at 97 mph but typically sits in the mid-90s. Badler also reports that he throws a hard slider and a curveball.