Why the Kansas City Royals traded for Boston Red Sox reliever John Schreiber
The Kansas City Royals added another veteran arm to their bullpen on Saturday. The Royals acquired reliever John Schreiber from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor-league pitcher David Sandlin.
Schreiber, 29, posted a 3.86 ERA in 46 appearances for the Red Sox last season. He is the latest reliever to join a revamped Royals bullpen.
This offseason, the Royals signed relievers Will Smith and Chris Stratton in free agency. KC also acquired Nick Anderson from the Atlanta Braves and added Matt Sauer in the Rule 5 Draft.
In a corresponding move, the Royals placed starter Kyle Wright on the 60-day injured list. Wright is recovering from a shoulder injury and is expected to miss the 2024 season.
“We’ve been trying to continue to address the bullpen, and we wanted somebody that’s been in some leverage situations before. Schreiber has done that in Boston,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We’re still real happy with the reports, real happy with the data we have on him.”
Schreiber has produced some strong numbers in his career. In 2022, he had a .185 expected batting average (xBA) and a 2.55 expected earned run average (xERA). Additionally, Schreiber recorded a 28.8 strikeout percentage and 7.4 walk percentage. Those numbers ranked among the best in the league, per Baseball Savant.
Last season, Schreiber dealt with injuries that ballooned his numbers. Schreiber missed 58 games with a right teres major strain, which is located near his lat muscle. He returned in late July and posted a 4.85 ERA in 29 2/3 innings to finish the 2023 campaign.
The Royals hope Schreiber can return to his 2022 form. Picollo feels confident after getting a good health report from team personnel.
“It was a lat strain,” Picollo said. “He missed time but got good reports on what’s going on now. ... Everything is good. We know he reported early in January down in Fort Meyers (Red Sox spring training complex) and he’s been throwing and been healthy. And then, of course, we have a medical review anyway and the trainers talk and signed off without a problem.”
The Royals plan to use Schreiber in high-leverage situations. He offers a slider, sinker, four-seam fastball and changeup within his pitching arsenal. His slider is a go-to pitch but his sinker registered a 28.9 put-away percentage last season. The sinker also can move with a little two-seam action as well.
“We’re really excited to acquire John,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I’ve seen him quite a bit in Boston. He has really good stuff and is super competitive. He can bring not only more diversity, different arm slot and different look from the bullpen. (He is) somebody that has pitched in high leverage and somebody that we consider able to make us a deeper bullpen overall and just a better team.”
The Royals haven’t decided how their revamped bullpen will operate. There are multiple players that have the ability to close games. Smith will likely get the first opportunity in the role. However, Quatraro has options to utilize Stratton, Anderson, James McArthur, Carlos Hernandez and now Schreiber if needed.
“The more games you win, the more you need high-leverage relievers to pitch in the back end,” Quatraro said.
The Royals parted ways with Sandlin in the deal. He had a 3.51 ERA in 14 starts between Single-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities last season. Picollo said it was a tough decision to part with the 22-year-old starter, who was drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
“That was sort of the hesitation,” Picollo said. “This probably started about a week ago and just going through the process. David is a good young pitcher and is a solid prospect. We wish him nothing but the best. You are getting a proven Major League pitcher who has years of control. With that, the acquisition was going to cost something. So as much as we might have tried to stay away from Sandlin, they were pretty (determined) and that’s who they wanted to acquire. And ultimately we decided it was best for the organization.”
The Royals begin Cactus League play on Feb. 23 against the Texas Rangers. The team will get a good look at the bullpen and how the pieces fit against Major League competition. Schreiber will join the organization and see some familiar faces as he adjusts to his new teammates.
For the Royals, his acquisition is another step in putting a competitive team on the field for the 2024 season.
“We have some guys on our club that know him and speak real highly of him,” Picollo said. “We have a good idea what we’re getting from a makeup, competitive standpoint. So it was a good move for us.”
This story was originally published February 17, 2024 at 11:27 AM.
