The New York Yankees have claimed right-handed reliever John Schreiber off waivers from the Royals, according to MLB.com reporter Anne Rogers. The Royals reportedly placed Schreiber on waivers last week. The right-handed sidearmer has a 3.65 ERA in 55 appearances, with 36 strikeouts in 49.1 innings.
The Royals will receive no compensation, but will save $600,000 in salary by losing Schreiber. Teams out of contention will often place impending free agents or expensive players on waivers in late August
with the hopes they will be picked up before the post-season roster deadline, saving some salary. Players must be in an organization by September 1 to be eligible for the post-season. Teams used to be able to work out “waiver trades” in August, but those were eliminated in 2019.
The Royals originally acquired Schreiber from the Red Sox before the 2024 season for pitcher David Sandlin. In three years with the Royals, he made 188 relief appearances, posting a 3.71 ERA. He is posting a strikeout rate of 17.7 percent, the lowest of his career, with his second-highest walk rate. His FIP is 4.87 and his BABIP is .248, suggesting he has not pitched as effectively as his ERA indicates. The Royals were unable to find a trade partner for him at the July deadline, and the 32-year-old will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The Royals have yet to make a corresponding roster move to replace Schreiber.
