The Astros announced on Twitter that they have released outfielder Eric Thames so that he may pursue an opportunity to play in Korea. The team's 40-man roster now stands at 37 players.
Houston claimed Thames off waivers from the Orioles in September. The 26-year-old Thames is a career .250/.296/.431 hitter with 21 homers in 684 plate appearances. He's been significantly better in Triple-A throughout his career though, as evidenced by his .312/.389/.506 batting line in 870 plate appearances at that level.