Third Time’s a Charm: Robertson Returns to Phillies

The Phillies bullpen has gotten a boost.  No, the Phillies did not work out a trade eleven days before the July 31 trade deadline.  Instead, they went to free agency and have reached an agreement with former Phillies reliever David Robertson, reports Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.

Robertson remained unsigned, after he declined a $7 million contract option with the Texas Rangers for 2025. Now 40 years old, Some reports said that Robertson wanted to cherry pick a contender.

Robertson pitched on Saturday for scouts from five teams.  Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated reported that the Phillies, Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Red Sox were teams in attendance for the workout.  The Yankees and Mets had previously shown interest in Robertson, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.

His 2024 season, at age 39, was a productive one. Robertson appeared in 68 games and pitched to a 3.00 ERA in 72 innings.   Robertson had two saves and a 3-4 record.

Is Robertson the big bullpen piece that the Phillies are looking for?  I would think that the Phillies remain engaged on a bigger bullpen target.  But Robertson simply will cost the Phillies money.

The deal is for a reported $16 million, pro-rated.  That would mean he will earn just under $6 million for the Phillies for the rest of the season.

That amount just happens to be about what Jose Alvarado forfeited for his 80-game suspension after violating the MLB-MLBPA joint drug agreement.

A player of Robertson's calibur might not have cost the Phillies one of their top prospects in trade, but a comparable player would have cost something in prospect capital.  The Phillies can use those prospects for other deals now.

Phillies president John Middleton recently spoke to NBC Sports Philadelphia about the trade deadline approach, and suggested some starters could help in the bullpen come playoff time.  While they certainly may, the Phillies are showing they will remain aggressive.