Free-agent reliever David Robertson seems to be making progress in his recovery from August 2019 Tommy John surgery. The right-hander threw his first bullpen session of the offseason Thursday and is planning to hold a showcase for interested teams in early February, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. He also hired Scott Leventhal as his agent after previously acting as his own representation.
Robertson had a great deal of success with the Yankees and White Sox earlier in his career, but he is coming off a disastrous run in Philadelphia. The Phillies signed Robertson to a two-year, $23MM contract before the 2019 season, but arm troubles essentially made him a nonentity in their uniform. Robertson threw 6 2/3 innings in his first season in Philly (none beyond April 14) and was beaten up for four earned runs on eight hits and six walks. He didn’t pitch at all last season, owing in part to a late-August setback in his rehab, and the Phillies made the easy call after the campaign to decline his $12MM club option in favor of a $2MM buyout.
Despite his struggles in Philadelphia, Robertson could make for a worthwhile low-cost pickup for a team if he’s healthy. The 35-year-old has enjoyed a rather productive career as a setup man and closer, having pitched to a 2.90 ERA/2.65 SIERA with a 32.2 strikeout rate, 9.7 percent walk rate, 147 holds and 137 saves. Robertson also has 663 2/3 frames under his belt, and he surpassed the 60-inning mark in each season from 2010-18.
Phillies should resign him he may not be their closer but he’s pretty ideal right now to at least be their setup man
Mets tryout
That ended up being a terrible signing for the Phillies but it looked decent at the time.
Mr. Reliable. Never any injury problems until he hit Philadelphia.
We usually end up with FA players on their way out the door. JT and Bryce are the rare exceptions.
Hopefully you guys resign JT and keep Bryce long term.
Then the Phillies can stay consistent
Ugh. What could have been.
He’s somebody I really want to see succeed, but can he please do it away from the Yankees or Phillies? Maybe, don’t go to a team I hate?
“hate” is such a strong word.
D-Rob, Pinstripes, & his high socks needs to be revisited.
Idk, hate isn’t very strong when it’s against the Phillies lol. I can cut the Yanks *some* slack, but the Phillies are my least favorite team.
What’s your beef with the Phillies? Why do you hate them so much? What’s the rivalry that I’m missing with the rangers here? Just an odd thing to say you Them
A couple of things: The Mets are my 2nd favorite team, and the Phillies are a division rival. The Phillies haven’t been ran well recently, and for most of my time of being a baseball fan they haven’t been ran well. Their jerseys just bug the crap out of me (superficial, I know). Chase Utley played there. Lastly, I really don’t like the city of Philly itself, and the fans don’t do them much of a service (No offense). The only redeeming factor is the phanatic, and besides that it’s not pretty.
My family left L.A. for the East Coast when I was 7. I lived much of my life in the NY Metro area, have been 45 miles outside Philadelphia the last four years. I prefer Philly over New York and it’s not even close. More character, less superficial. Philly also has better music venues, which is important to me. All the decent NYC venues shut down due to high rents. There’s very little reason to visit NYC, and that was true before the pandemic.
Chase Utley played there, but he was wearing a Dodgers uniform when he did that! Try not to hate teams? It makes baseball easier to love. I only hate the St Louis Browns and the Kansas City Athletics but that’s just because I can’t ever find any tickets to there games on stub hub. For some reason they wanna make me drive all the way to some place called Oakland to watch the As play and the Browns don’t exist anymore?
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
My response is specifically to cey hey re: venues
Chase Utley is a Golden God!
Hey, he wanted to know why lol. It’s pretty unfounded, I know, but I just don’t like the for some reason. What’s even weirder is the fact that I like most of their ex-players like Hamels, Doc, and Howard. Criticize me however you want to, but I ain’t changing.
Your understanding of the Phillies is really flawed. I was a full season ticket holder for many years until recently. They are a class organization. Fans at the games are nothing like the proverbial, obnoxious Eagles fans. I never saw any Phillies fan act the way you describe. If one does all you have to do is send a text and the problem will be dealt with very quickly. Chase Utley is most beloved by teammates and fans where he played. He always played 100% even on the most routine groundout. Yeah he broke Tejada’s leg. I knew as soon as that ball was hit there was going to be a collision at second. It was a legal hit – at the time. I remember David Wright having a similar slide into second against the Phillies. Fortunately, no one was hurt. But they could have been. The Phillies players didn’t take issue with it because it was just hard-nosed baseball.
I gotcha. Your entitled to your opinion and I respect that. The city does stink, I’ll give you that much, but so does 95% of the cities across America. Just odd that someone from the Midwest would hate the Phillies that’s all
Same here Dakotajoe. I attend atleast 4-8 games a year for the past 30 years. Phillies fans are great. I have seen some fans heckling Mets fans from time to time, but it’s friendly. Eagles on the other hand, forget about it
Davey is hoping to beat some more coaches & support staffers out of their shares of post season money like he did in the Bronx in 18 before he slinks off into history. Shame on you David. Shame!
Springer! Springer! Springer!
I see I’m not the only person who remembers that.
Not a fan of him after he stiffed coaches and support staff on past playoff shares, so hopefully his elbow doesn’t heal and he just fades away.
Yikes
Yes, what he did was rotten. “Rotten” Robertson.
This rumor has been shown to be false.
and to be honest seems a little far-fetched
“hopefully his elbow doesn’t heal and he just fades away.”
How does a comment like that help anyone out, including yourself? Living well is the best revenge
He is the type the jays go after every year. I would like them to try him as there lotto ticket, lighting in a bottle type
He’ll be 36 by opening day. Invite, 1 million if he makes the team and loaded with incentives or does somebody roll the dice right away?
Back to the Yankees, where he’s had great results on a one year deal. Then he’ll go for one last contract away from the Bronx.
Totally agree
Yankees already brought back Warren. Come back D Rob for your third tour of duty.
Pirates should be all over him hoping he comes back and can get moved by the deadline
Sweet home Alabama
Perfect low cost option for Boston. He could really help their pen and if they are out of it in July. Chaim can flip him for more prospects. It’s quite obvious the Sox are in the middle of a rebuild and players like this fit in perfectly to that plan.
Chase Utley played there, but he was wearing a Dodgers uniform when he did that! Try not to hate teams? It makes baseball easier to love. I only hate the St Louis Browns and the Kansas City Athletics but that’s just because I can’t ever find any tickets to there games on stub hub. For some reason they wanna make me drive all the way to some place called Oakland to watch the As play and the Browns don’t exist anymore?
The screwing of playoff shares was not a rumor
It was indeed a rumor. Robertson stated this was the Yankees decision, not his.
It’s not like he unilaterally votes who the shares go to. If that was the case, why even have a meeting. We’ll never know the whole story why certain people didn’t full shares or any.
Perfect buy low bullpen piece that the Yankees are looking for. As long as he makes it through the showcase without issue I can see the yanks moving quickly to add him like they did Kluber
The key words are low cost… what is that cost? Cause even at a certain point, I’d love my Braves to take a shot at him
Yankees probably try and add him like Adam Warren. Best player in Spring Training gets the roster spot.
Back to the Yanks with D-Rob! Was such a huge part of our team! Love to have him back
Seems like a Chaim Bloom kind of a move. I dig it.
Sounds like a 2021 Chicago Cub
Personally, I’d be ashamed to cash the 2 mil buyout after stealing the first 23.
B U M
That’s the risk teams take and it is factored in to the cost at signing. Granted, it causes rates to go up but it’s covered by insurance. He’s no bum. If any owner complained it would feed the “greedy owner” narrative. Which is also false.
He Has To,Once Again,Be A Yankee.