8:54pm: Astros GM Ed Wade said "We'll give Armando a chance to finish the season at Round Rock and then determine where we go from there," according to the AP. Round Rock's regular season ends on Sept. 7th, so if he pitches well we might see the Major League return of Big Game Benitez.
3:24pm: MLB.com's Alyson Footer confirms it is indeed a minor league deal. Benitez will head directly to Triple-A Round Rock.
3:02pm: According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the Astros have signed 36-year-old reliever Armando Benitez.
It's safe to assume the agreement is a minor league deal. Benitez hasn't appeared in the major leagues since 2008, when he allowed four earned runs in 6 1/3 innings out of the Blue Jays' bullpen. For what it's worth, he has a 3.18 career ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 289 saves.
