Mike Elias helps his old team by trading Orioles folk hero to Astros

The Houston Astros, in desperate need of a third base replacement for Isaac Paredes, who went from All-Star to sidelined for the season in a matter of days, knew just who to call: Mike Elias, midway through an Orioles fire sale.

Elias has plenty of work left to do on Thursday afternoon in order to dismantle the 2023 AL East champions (who've actually been playing much better of late). He couldn't sleep on Wednesday, though, so he decided to knife us in the gut one more time.

Ramón Urías, a free agent after the 2026 season, will take his 1.5 seasons of control to Houston to man the hot corner (presumably) through a lengthy playoff run. The 31-year-old won a Gold Glove in 2022 in a magical 3.8-WAR season and was a cornerstone of the Orioles' successful (and quirky) rebuild.

He debuted with the team in an empty stadium in 2020, then helped carry them as Camden Yards filled, grew, and burst with enthusiasm from 2021 to present.

Orioles' Ramón Urías traded to Houston as Mike Elias continues sell-off at trade deadline, helps old team

The return? Twine Palmer, a 19th-round pick in 2024 with a 2.13 ERA in eight starts (13 appearances). He was unranked among MLB Pipeline's Astros Top 30 Prospects.

Prior to Urías' departure, the Orioles had already dealt away Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto; Felix Bautista was likely spared because of an ill-timed injury.

Next up on Elias' checklist are names like Cedric Mullins, who gave one hell of a potential farewell performance on Wednesday afternoon with an all-world home run robbery, as well as Ryan O'Hearn, an All-Star starter for the Birds just two weeks ago. Dealing Adley Rutschman would be a real stretch, but it can't be ruled out. Who knows? Maybe the Astros beg their old boss to toss 'em another softball.

Houston aimed high in their search for a third base fill-in, flirting with a Carlos Correa reunion as recently as Wednesday morning. The dependable and tested-in-big-moments Urías will fit in nicely in Houston instead, and the cost was hardly prohibitive.

Hopefully, the Orioles will be in a different trade deadline bucket next year. It's far more enjoyable when you're not spending a five-day period habitually saying goodbye to the players who've brightened your afternoons in recent seasons.