Astros general manager Ed Wade announced Thursday that catcher J.R. Towles and right-handed relievers Alberto Arias and Jose Valdez, cleared waivers and have been outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, thus trimming the 40-man roster down to 35.
Towles will automatically become a free agent following the World Series, while Arias and Valdez can elect free agency based on service time.
The 27-year-old Towles, a former top prospect in the Astros' farm system, hit .184 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 54 games for Houston in 2011 after departing Spring Training as the starting catcher due to Jason Castro's season-ending knee injury.
Houston optioned him to Oklahoma City on July 6, where he hit .276 with three homers and 11 RBI prior to being recalled on Sept. 1.
Towles, a native of Crosby, Texas, has been somewhat of a fan favorite due to his local ties, despite struggling with the Astros.
He recorded one of the greatest offensive performances in franchise history Sept. 20, 2007 -- just 15 days after making his major league debut -- by collecting eight RBI to break the previous club record of seven in Houston's 18-1 win over St. Louis.
Towles connected for his first big league homer that day.
However, it's been a struggle for Towles since, which has prevented him from securing the full-time starting job behind the plate.
He's hitting .187 with 11 homers, 50 RBI and 22 doubles in 155 career games over four-plus big league seasons -- all with the Astros.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old Arias missed the entire 2011 regular season after undergoing right shoulder surgery in March.
When the Astros transferred Arias from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list on June 29 to make room for outfielder Luis Durango, he no longer counted on the team's 40-man roster, which is the reasoning behind Houston's 40-man roster being at 35.
He also missed the 2010 campaign by undergoing surgery to repair his rotator cuff and labrum, as well as remove calcium deposits.
The right-handed reliever had a promising 2009 season for the Astros, going 2-1 with a 3.35 ERA over 45 2/3 innings in 42 appearances.
Arias has posted a 4-2 record with a 3.74 ERA over 74 1/3 innings in 63 games (two starts) over four career big league seasons with the Colorado Rockies (2007-08) and Astros (2008-09).
The 28-year-old Valdez compiled a 9.00 ERA over 14 innings in 12 relief appearances while making two stints with Houston in 2011.
He made his major league debut on April 17 against the San Diego Padres at Minute Maid Park, tossing a scoreless inning of relief.
Valdez spent the majority of the 2011 season at Oklahoma City, going 1-0 with 5.66 ERA over 20 2/3 innings in 20 relief appearances.
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