Royals' sudden John Schreiber cut should tell fans all they need to know about playoff chances

The Kansas City Royals once again found themselves in the win column on Tuesday, making it 13 wins in their last 15 games. There's no denying that their the hottest ticket in town right now, but the reality is, it might not matter at the end of the day for their playoff odds. Before this torrid run, the Royals were all but in the midst of the final stretch to a lost season. And even after winning once again, they still find themselves with the third-worst record in the American League and 6.5 games out of the final Wild card spot and 11.0 games back of the White Sox for the AL Central lead.

There's likely too many teams to jump and likely not enough time to do so while also making up 6.5 games in their last 25 contests. So, while it may've come as a surprise timing wise, the Royals waiving John Schreiber on Saturday evening made a lot of sense at the end of the day.

The Royals' bullpen may be struggling overall this season with a second-worst 5.14 ERA in MLB this season. However, Schreiber has not been disappointing as a major contributor in the Royals' 'pen this season, unlike many of his fellow relief mates. Overall, the veteran right-hander has been one of their more respectable relief arms, throwing to a 3.72 ERA and .232 BAA in 54 appearances.

However, as an impeding free-agent on the wrong side of 32, Schreiber already didn't project to be a top option to return to this bullpen in 2027. And his low 6.70 K/9 mark and high 4.10 BB/9 mark, resulting in a 1.30 WHIP, shows there are certainly red flags to his game.

So, perhaps the Royals cutting him a break and giving him a chance to potentially latch onto a contender before the year's up is a move worth making to focus on the future of their relief corps while also being a classy move that could help him in free agency this winter.

Should they have traded Schreiber at the trade deadline? As an expiring reliever with plenty of red flags, despite his respectable run in Kansas City this season, absolutely they should've. However, the past is in the past and it seems more worth doing what's necessary to get some younger names a shot at handling the big league lights when they're more likely to be a part of their competitive future anyways.

John Schreiber could be wise addition for contending teams with struggling bullpens

Now, while he might not be able blow hitters away or limit walks, Schreiber is more than just a high-3.00s ERA reliever. He's been above-average in missing barrels - he's sporting a 6.4% in the 68th percentile clip there, and keeps the ball in the ground more often than not at a 62nd percentile pace of 44.7%.

Is he a closer or even a high-leverage option? Likely not, but there's plenty of teams that could use a groundball pitcher in the middle innings. This is especially the case in the postseason, when each at-bat is magnified so much more in an elimination series and bullpens are leaned upon more than ever.

Where he ends up remains to be seen, but it's worth noting that several teams either currently in a playoff spot or well within the Wild Card hunt are among the bottom half bullpens in baseball in terms of ERA. The top teams that seem like they could make a ton of sense for Schreiber's services are the mighty Philadelphia Phillies, along with the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.

Any potential Schreiber suitors that would want him on a prospective postseason roster this fall would need to claim him off waivers before August 31.

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