Report: Cuban righthander Carlos Sierra to sign with Astros
The Houston Astros have agreed to a contract with Cuban right-hander Carlos Sierra, reports MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez.
Terms of the deal are not known yet, however the deal is not worth “big money,” reports the Houston Chronicle’s Evan Drellich.
Sierra, 20, will be subject to international signing guidelines when he becomes eligible to join a team. The pitcher has yet to be declared a free agent by the league.
Sierra is currently pitching in the top baseball league in Spain, playing with the Tenerife Marlins in the Division de Honor de Beisbol. Although many Cuban players must leave the country in order to establish residency outside Cuba and the United States, Sierra received Spanish citizenship through his grandfather, ensuring that he could leave Cuba legally in February.
The righthander previously played three seasons for Sancti Spíritus in Cuba's Serie Nacional. He also pitched for Cuba’s 16-and-under and 18-and-under national teams.
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Sanchez reports Sierra’s fastball clocks in the 90-mph range and that he utilizes multiple arm angles in addition to a slider, curveball and circle-change.
