The New York Yankees claimed veteran right-hander John Schreiber off waivers from the Kansas City Royals on Monday, August 31, 2026. The move adds bullpen depth ahead of the postseason eligibility cutoff while costing the club roughly $600,000 for the remainder of the season.
Yankees Add John Schreiber From Royals in Low-Risk Waiver Claim
The New York Yankees bolstered their overworked bullpen on Monday, claiming right-handed reliever John Schreiber off waivers from the Kansas City Royals, as first reported by Joel Sherman of The New York Post. The transaction gives New York a fresh arm as active rosters expand from 26 to 28 on Tuesday, allowing teams to go from a maximum of 13 pitchers to 14. With a couple of open spots on the 40-man roster, the Yankees did not need to make a corresponding move to accommodate the claim.
Because the transaction was completed before Tuesday, Schreiber is eligible to be included on a potential New York postseason roster. ANAHEIM, Calif. — A few days ago, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone essentially admitted he was holding open tryouts in his bullpen because his reliever group has been overworked. Boone now has a new reliever in the mix. The team needed fresh arms following injuries to Fernando Cruz, Angel Chivilli, and Ryan Weathers, who was expected to eventually end up in the bullpen.
Financial Impact and Roster Context for New York
The Yankees will assume the roughly $600,000 the veteran had left on his contract with the Royals. Schreiber, 32, compiled a 3.65 ERA in 49 1/3 innings across 55 appearances for Kansas City this year before being placed on waivers over the weekend. A free agent-to-be at the end of this season, Schreiber has also pitched for the Red Sox and the Tigers, who selected him in the 15th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, in his eight-year big league career. Overall, he has posted a 16-15 record with a 3.65 ERA, 13 saves and 42 games finished.
For the Royals, even though they’ve been red hot lately, they are 7.5 games out of a playoff spot and playing out the string. By placing a player on waivers, they can potentially save a bit of cash, as the claiming team takes on his contract. A player is more likely to be claimed today than in the future because September 1 is the playoff eligibility cutoff. Players can be placed on waivers without losing their roster spots, and a team can put a guy on the wire hoping for cost savings. If he doesn’t get claimed, he can stay on the team. For a contending club like the Yankees—who hold a ten-game cushion on the Orioles, the top team not currently in playoff position—it’s a chance to add a player for the stretch run and possibly the playoffs, with the only cost being financial.
Evaluating Schreiber’s 2026 Metrics and Advanced Stats
Adding Schreiber is a buy-low move for the Yanks, as he is not having his best season. He has had a rocky season with the last-place Royals, posting a 3.65 ERA in 49 1/3 innings. Under the hood, while his 45.4% ground-ball rate is solid and one of the highest marks of his career, his 17.7% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate are both subpar, less-than-encouraging figures. More runs would have crossed the plate if not for a .248 batting average on balls in play and 75.6% strand rate. His 4.87 FIP and 4.54 SIERA might be more accurate representations of how he has pitched this year, even though his ERA looks good on the surface because he has benefited from a low .248 batting average on balls in play despite poor metrics.
Schreiber was especially good against right-handed batters, whom he held to a .143 average and .414 OPS. Lefties, meanwhile, hit .326 with a 1.024 OPS against him. His velocity is in line with his previous campaigns from 2022 to 2025—when he tossed 227 1/3 innings between the Red Sox and Royals with a 3.33 ERA, 24.7% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate and 47.1% ground ball rate—so perhaps the Yankees can figure out a way to get him back on track by altering his usage or pitch mix.
Recent Reliever Additions and Late-Season Precedents
Schreiber is the latest addition to a Yankees bullpen that has brought in fellow veteran right-handers Michael Fulmer, who has immediately been thrown into some high-leverage spots, and Justin Topa in the past week. Topa, who was designated for assignment on Saturday, elected free agency on Monday in lieu of accepting an outright assignment. They also called up starter-turned-reliever Luis Gil on Sunday to see if he can help, and have Clarke Schmidt on rehab assignment in hopes of him also joining their bullpen at some point in September. The Yankees’ top three relievers are David Bednar, Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn, but Headrick and Blackburn have been leaned on heavily—especially Headrick, who entered Monday second in the majors with 70 appearances.
The Yankees have had success with late-season bullpen adds in the past. Last year, the Yankees signed Paul Blackburn after the New York Mets parted ways with the right-hander, and Blackburn has turned into one of MLB’s best relievers this year. Tim Hill and Luke Weaver were also late-season pickups for the Yankees who turned out to be exceptional pitchers out of the bullpen. None of those pitchers had sparkling numbers before joining the Yankees, leaving the team hoping Schreiber can be the latest success story for the Yankees’ pitching department.