The Orioles expanded beyond trading just their impending free agents by agreeing to a deal that will send infielder Ramón Urías to the Houston Astros, a source confirmed.

In return, the Orioles are receiving right-hander Twine Palmer, a Single-A pitching prospect from Houston, the source added. Palmer, 20, was selected in the 19th round out of Connors State Junior College in Oklahoma in the 2024 draft. MLB.com first reported Palmer’s inclusion.

Urías, a valued utility infielder for years in Baltimore, is the second player under team control to be shipped out ahead of the deadline, joining right-hander Bryan Baker. A week ago, Orioles general manager Mike Elias said during an appearance on MLB Network Radio that he’d prioritize selling expiring contracts, but that hasn’t fully been the case.

The trade involving Urías, which was first reported by the New York Post, is the fourth so far ahead of Thursday’s deadline. The Orioles have sent right-hander Seranthony Domínguez to the Toronto Blue Jays and left-hander Gregory Soto to the New York Mets.

The Astros are receiving a 31-year-old who can play all four infield positions, although Urías mainly is a third baseman and second baseman. He won a Golden Glove Award in 2022 for his work at the hot corner.

Urías is hitting .248 with a .688 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. He joined the Orioles in 2020 as a waiver claim but built himself into a steady contributor and a favorite of then-manager Brandon Hyde for his under-the-radar contributions.

Urías featured mostly in a rotation role this season, coming off the bench in a variety of positions to give others a day off. He excelled in that role, finding his rhythm even if he wasn’t seeing everyday at-bats.

He was still under team control for the 2026 season. His versatility will be missed.

The path to reach this point for Urías is admirable. The Magdalena de Kino, Mexico, native spent many years playing in his home country after he was released from a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. He returned to the U.S. in 2018 after signing a minor league deal with the Cardinals, and soon he made a name for himself in Baltimore.

“Talk about coming back from the dead, just to get picked up by affiliated baseball,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said last month. “I mean, he was done. You go to Mexico for six years, even being a native, you’re done in professional baseball, or the American side of it.”

Urías proved that wouldn’t be the case. He played 506 games for Baltimore, and since 2020, he has accounted for 10.5 wins above replacement.

Palmer, the prospect the Orioles are receiving in return, holds a 2.13 ERA in 42 1/3 innings for the Astros’ Single-A affiliate, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. He’s striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings, with the majority of his appearances coming as a starter. In his 13 outings, Palmer has conceded just three extra-base hits.

Ahead of the 6 p.m. EDT Thursday trade deadline, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, outfielders Ramón Laureano and Cedric Mullins, and pitchers Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano could all be on the move.