The Royals have acquired reliever John Schreiber from the Pink Sox in change for right-handed pitching prospect David Sandlin, ESPN’s Jeff Passan stories (Twitter hyperlink).
Schreiber has a 27.4% strikeout price over his 143 1/3 profession innings within the majors, so lacking bats has by no means been a problem for the 29-year-old. Between some residence run points and lots of unhealthy BABIP luck, nonetheless, Schreiber had solely a 6.28 ERA over 28 2/3 innings with the Tigers in 2019-20, and he pitched in solely a single MLB sport with the Pink Sox in 2021. The breakout got here in 2022, as Schreiber had a 2.22 ERA over 65 aid innings for Boston whereas additionally delivering a 28.8% strikeout price and an above-average 7.4% stroll price.
2023 was extra of a problem, in no small half as a result of Schreiber frolicked on the 60-day injured checklist resulting from a teres main pressure in his proper shoulder. Schreiber nonetheless posted a decent 3.86 ERA over 46 2/3 innings and had sturdy strikeout and barrel charges, although his stroll price spiked as much as an ungainly 12.3%. The sinker that was such a weapon for Schreiber the earlier season was additionally much less efficient — batters had a .395 wOBA towards his sinker in 2023, versus a .245 wOBA in 2022.
An argument can definitely be made that the Pink Sox could be promoting excessive on Schreiber right here, although it’s a threat Kansas Metropolis is keen to take for a reliever who’s a number of weeks shy of his thirtieth birthday and is arbitration-controlled by means of the 2026 season. Schreiber had a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings earlier than his IL stint and a 4.85 ERA in 29 2/3 innings after returning, so the Royals may view the righty’s struggles as only a byproduct his damage layoff. Ought to Schreiber get again to his 2022 type, Ok.C. out of the blue has an enormous strikeout arm to deploy in high-leverage conditions.
As we speak’s commerce continues a really busy offseason for Royals GM J.J. Picollo, who has introduced fairly a little bit of veteran expertise to Kansas Metropolis in an effort to shortly flip round a group that misplaced 106 video games final season. Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo had been the headline-grabbing rotation upgrades, however Will Smith, Chris Stratton, Nick Anderson, and now Schreiber have all joined a reworked bullpen. Schreiber is a little more of a longer-term add given his years of arbitration management, but the Royals have put themselves able to both straight profit on the sphere if these pitchers carry out nicely, or to maybe profit when it comes to having some commerce chips on the deadline if Ok.C. once more falls wanting rivalry.
From Boston’s perspective, shifting a stable reliever from Schreiber may not be nicely obtained at first by Pink Sox Nation, given how the followers have been vocally unimpressed with the group’s strikes (or lack thereof) this offseason. Craig Breslow has made lots of lateral strikes in his first winter because the chief baseball officer, persevering with the franchise’s current bent in direction of including youthful expertise quite than splurging on win-now stars.
Sandlin brings some intriguing potential to the desk, because the righty (who turns 23 subsequent week) has a 3.41 ERA and an impressive 32.38% strikeout price in 68 2/3 profession minor league innings. An Eleventh-round decide for the Royals within the 2022 draft, Sandlin had his 2023 season lower quick by a lat damage, and he made solely two appearances on the high-A degree earlier than being sidelined.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel not too long ago ranked Sandlin because the fifth-best prospect within the Royals’ farm system, whereas The Athletic’s Keith Legislation ranked the righty seventh. Baseball America was barely extra pessimistic in rating Sandlin solely twentieth, however nonetheless felt Sandlin may grow to be a minimum of a great reliever based mostly on his two main pitches —- a excessive 90s fastball and a plus slider. If his changeup and curveball can even develop, Sandlin can maybe stick within the rotation, although he’s nonetheless one thing of a wild card contemplating that he hasn’t but pitched a lot in professional ball.
MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith reported earlier this week that the Sox had been open to gives for not simply Schreiber, but additionally Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin. With Schreiber now out the door, it stays to be seen if Boston remains to be keen to maneuver both of Jansen or Martin, or if the Sox will cease wanting a full-on bullpen overhaul. Jansen or Martin are each free brokers after the season and can be prime commerce candidates on the deadline if the Pink Sox aren’t in rivalry, so there was hypothesis that the Sox may look to extend their return (and lower some wage) by dealing a minimum of one of many veteran relievers now.
