FORT MYERS, Fla. -- For weeks, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been on the prowl for promising Minor League starters to help patch up the organization’s biggest weakness.
On Saturday, Breslow was successful in that mission, trading righty setup man John Schreiber to the Royals for hard-throwing prospect David Sandlin.
“So, we obviously spoke to our amateur group and they had some background with [Sandlin], they had some history with him. Loved the stuff, loved the makeup, and we’ve seen the stuff take a pretty significant step forward,” said Breslow. “Also, any time you make these trades, you have to recognize that we're trading a really talented pitcher in Schreiber over there, and that was difficult -- and [it] certainly wasn’t an easy decision. But my job is to do what is best for the organization, and I think this was a place to do that.”
Schreiber went from a fringe reliever in Detroit to an important setup man for the Red Sox the past two seasons.
“I have nothing but good things to say about this organization,” Schreiber said. “Before they claimed me off waivers, I was in one of my darkest places mentally. They gave me a chance to find myself again and I tried to make the most of it when I came over here. They gave me an opportunity to succeed. I can't thank them enough for what they've done for me.”
Breslow felt he was dealing from a position of strength in making this move.
“[Sandlin] was someone we had identified early on as someone that we think is on the rise, has the makings of a legitimate starting pitcher,” said Breslow. “And I think we've talked for a while about our right-handed relief depth. That’s something we feel strongly about, something we feel confident in. We talked about the need -- when the opportunity exists -- to create more starting pitching depth. So I think this was one example of a chance to do that.”
Closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Chris Martin represent a strong 1-2 punch at the end of games.
As for who will wind up as the key relievers to form that bridge to the final innings following the departure of Schreiber remains to be seen.
Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski are in competition for the final spot in the starting rotation. Whichever two pitchers don’t crack the rotation will likely be important relievers for manager Alex Cora.
Saturday's trade also creates an opportunity for pitchers like Greg Weissert and Isaiah Campbell, who were acquired in deals earlier in the offseason.
“It opens the window for other guys to step up and try to win that spot,” said Cora. “I think we traded from an area that we feel we’ve got other cards that can help us this year, and obviously, we added some upside at the Minor League level.”
Jansen, who carries a $16 million salary, has been in a barrage of trade rumors in recent weeks. Will the removal of Schreiber lessen the chance that Jansen gets dealt?
“As of right now, we're really happy with the construction and depth and competition that we're going to have,” Breslow said. “Obviously, we make every decision individually [and] have to do what's best for the organization, but we really like the guys that we have right now, and we’re thankful they’re here.”
The 22-year-old Sandlin was ranked No. 19 in the Royals’ system in MLB Pipeline’s most recent Top 30 rankings. He likely would have been a few slots higher if not for an oblique injury that limited him to 14 starts last season.
Sandlin is full-go and will soon report to Minor League camp. It seems likely he will start the season with Boston’s High-A affiliate in Greenville.
In a Minor League system lacking in quality starting pitching, Sandlin’s stuff should stand out.
“[His] fastball as an amateur was kind of low 90s,” said Breslow. “In pro ball, it’s been up to 98, 99. He pitches at probably 95 to 97. He has a good breaking ball and a change that we see room to optimize. So it was a combination of kind of raw stuff, projection and a chance to maybe tweak the usage a little bit and improve performance.”
The Royals selected Sandlin, who pitched his college years at Oklahoma, in the 11th round of the 2022 Draft. In his Minor League career, Sandlin is 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 15 starts. He’s amassed 90 strikeouts over 68 2/3 innings.