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On the heels of reports the New York Mets were re-signing Brandon Nimmo, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports the team has signed reliever David Robertson to a one-year $10 million deal. As Passan astutely pointed out the “Mets just keep getting better.”

Robertson is no stranger to New York. He came up with the Yankees and pitched there from 2008 – 2014 serving as a vital set-up reliever for the 2009 World Series winning team. He’d return to the Yankees at the 2017 trade deadline and pitch for the team in 2018.

Mets GM Billy Eppler is familiar with Robertson during his own time with the Yankees organization. In fact, he tried to sign Robertson when he was the Los Angeles Angels GM, but Robertson preferred staying in the northeast and signed a deal with the Phillies.

Robertson underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019, and he would suffer a setback during his rehabilitation. He pitched for the 2021 United States silver medal Olympic team before pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays in September of that year.

He signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs and was traded to the eventual pennant-winning Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline. Between both clubs, he made 58 appearances going 4-3 with 20 saves, a 2.40 ERA, 1.162 WHIP, 4.9 BB/9, and an 11.5 K/9 in 2022. 

Presumably, Robertson has signed with the Mets to be one of the primary set-up relievers for Edwin Díaz. That was a role he had with the Yankees as well.

For a Mets team with designs on winning a World Series, Robertson has had postseason success. Over 41 postseason appearances, he’s 6-0 with one save, a 2.78 ERA, 1.125 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, and a 10.5 K/9.

One note with Robertson is while he signed for $10 million, he is going to cost the Mets more than that. With Steve Cohen already blowing right through the Cohen tax, there is a 90% tax for the amounts over the $290 million threshold. The Mets are now at about $328 million for luxury tax purposes for 2023. 

Obviously, the Mets seem undeterred as they look to build a roster that can win the team’s first World Series since 1986.