The Astros signed right-handers Alberto Arias and Jose Valdez and left-hander Xavier Cedeno to minor league deals, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The Astros had outrighted the players off of their 40-man roster earlier in October.
Arias would have been arbitration eligible, but he spent the 2011 on the season on the disabled list after undergoing shoulder surgery in March. The 27-year-old has a 3.74 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in 74 2/3 career innings and hasn't pitched since 2009.
Valdez appeared in 12 games for the Astros in 2011, striking out 15 in 14 innings. He also posted a 5.47 ERA with 12.0 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in 24 2/3 minor league innings. Cedeno made his MLB debut last month, pitching in three games as a September callup. The 25-year-old spent most of the 2011 season in the upper minors, where he posted a 4.38 ERA with 9.0 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 137 2/3 innings.
