Fri 12/21/12 4:49 PM

Astros sent INF-OF Brandon Laird outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The move clears him from the 40-man roster. The 25-year-old hit .257 (9-for-35) with one home run and four RBI in 17 games with the Astros this past season and figures to serve as organizational depth in 2013.