Yankees Acquire RHP Sam Demel

The New York Yankees today announced they have claimed right-handed pitcher Sam Demel off waivers from the Houston Astros.

Demel, 27, owns a 4-4 record with two saves and a 4.95 ERA (63.2IP, 35ER) in 72 Major League relief appearances with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2010-12.  He made one relief outing in his only stint with Arizona in 2012 (1.0IP, 2H, 1ER) after spending the majority of the season with Triple-A Reno, where he went 1-4 with one save and a 4.07 ERA (66.1IP, 30ER) in 56 appearances out of the bullpen.  In 257.2 career innings pitched at the minor league level, he has struck out 284 batters.

A third-round selection by Oakland in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Demel made five spring training relief appearances with Houston in 2013, going 1-0 and allowing 11 earned runs in 2.1 innings pitched.

In a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designed RHP Danny Otero for assignment.