HOUSTON — The situation wasn’t lost on Ramón Urías. By that point the Orioles had traded a few relievers on expiring contracts, and Urías has been in baseball long enough to understand how a losing record at the end of July is bound to bring new faces into a clubhouse come August.

Still, when general manager Mike Elias called Urías to inform him that Baltimore was trading the infielder to the Houston Astros ahead of the deadline, Urías was “in shock,” he said. Urías is under team control next season. He didn’t expect to be one of the outgoing players, to say goodbye suddenly to the only team he had known in Major League Baseball.

But after two days of contemplation, Urías said, he gained his concentration once more. He focused on the similarities — it’s the same game, after all — and he looked at the positives around this unexpected move to Houston.

“I wasn’t expecting to get traded,” Urías said. “Honestly, I think it worked out well for me. Getting to play a little bit here … and I’m happy for that. I think it was a good moment in my career.”

The Orioles traded the versatile infielder for right-hander Twine Palmer, a 20-year-old who has started two games for Low-A Delmarva since joining the organization. Palmer is years from becoming a viable option in Baltimore; Urías, meanwhile, proved himself to be a valuable utilityman, even if his offensive numbers left something to be desired.

In 77 games Urías posted a .688 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this season, which is a step back from his .745 OPS in 2024. He accounted for 1.4 wins above replacement for the Orioles, though, and his defense played a part in that. Urías won a Gold Glove in 2022 for his work at third base, and he can play second base and first base well, too.

And Friday at Daikin Park, where the Orioles and Astros play their series opener, Urías is starting at second base. It will be his 10th game since arriving in Houston about two weeks ago. It’s early, but thus far he’s hitting .320 with an .890 OPS.

“It probably took me two days to really concentrate and be able to be myself again, because it was something I never experienced before,” Urías said. “But it’s part of the job, you know, and it’s secure to be part of a franchise for a long time. … But I’m really happy to be here. Like I said, I’ve had the opportunity to play. That’s the most important thing for my career.”

Urías said his experience playing in the postseason for the Orioles, despite losing those series, prepares him for what’s to come here.

The Astros are in a tight race with the Seattle Mariners for the American League West crown. Entering Friday, Houston holds a 1.5-game lead in the division.

“Especially being on a winning team, like we were the last two years, helped me control those emotions when the games are on the line,” Urías said. “We are playing every night here with that type of emotion, and I’m just grateful that I have that opportunity to be on that kind of team the last couple years.”

Ramón Urías distinguished himself with his fielding while posting a .728 OPS in 506 games with the Orioles. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

That’s part of the benefit of joining the Astros rather than seeing out a losing year in Baltimore. But what Urías can’t replace are the positive memories.

He joined the Orioles in 2020 as a waiver claim, and he became a key piece of the roster for several years. Urías witnessed the bad, such as a 110-loss season in 2021, as well as the good. He played 116 games for manager Brandon Hyde when the Orioles won 101 games in 2023.

Urías remains under team control for the 2026 season, and because of that, it seemed as though he might have been part of the plans for Baltimore’s return to competitiveness. Instead, interim manager Tony Mansolino said, he’s a player who has “moved on to bigger and better things for 2025.”

“In terms of a utility player, Ramón’s kind of the prototype,” Mansolino said. And that’s a major reason why he finds himself on a contender.

When he arrived at the ballpark in Houston on Friday, Urías made his way over to say hello to his friends — his teammates as of two weeks ago.

Later Friday, he’ll step into the box against them. But there’s no changing their relationship.

“I really love playing with those guys,” Urías said. “Something that I’ll never forget in my life.”

This article has been updated.