The Yankees are turning to another bullpen fix as their relief corps continues to get stretched thin.
On Monday, New York claimed John Schreiber off waivers from the Kansas City Royals, adding a fresh arm at a time when manager Aaron Boone had essentially been treating the bullpen like an open audition. The New York Post first reported the move.
Because the Yankees grabbed Schreiber before Sept. 1, he will be eligible for the postseason. New York will owe him about $600,000 for the rest of the season.
Schreiber arrives with uneven numbers from a rough year in Kansas City. His 45.4 percent ground-ball rate is among the best of his career, but the rest of the profile is harder to sell.
He owns an 18 percent strikeout rate and an 11 percent walk rate, along with a 4.87 FIP. His 3.65 ERA looks cleaner on the surface, though that figure has been helped by a .248 batting average in balls in play.
The Yankees have made a habit of finding value late in the season by taking chances on pitchers with imperfect stat lines. Last year, they signed Paul Blackburn after the New York Mets moved on from him, and he has since become one of MLB’s best relievers this season. Tim Hill and Luke Weaver also came in as late-season pickups and wound up thriving in the Yankees’ bullpen.
Schreiber doesn’t arrive with the kind of numbers that jump off the page. But that hasn’t stopped the Yankees before.
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