Astros claimed INF-OF Brandon Laird off waivers from the Yankees. Laird, the younger brother of Tigers' catcher Gerald Laird, was hitting .254/.307/.414 with 15 homers and 77 RBI though 130 games in his third season for the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. It's a nice gamble for the Astros to take, as the 24-year-old could develop into a solid utility player at the major league level.