David Robertson 

Position: Relief pitcher
Bats/Throws: R/R
Age: 4/09/1985 (38)

Traditional Stats: 62 G, 6-6, 3.03 ERA, 1.194 WHIP, 78 K, 65.1 IP
Advanced Stats: 1.2 fWAR, 3.55 FIP, 3.85 xERA, 9.3 BB%, 29 K%

Rundown

David Robertson was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2006 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut two years later and has enjoyed a successful career as a relief pitcher since then.

After struggling in 25 games during his rookie campaign with a 5.34 ERA, Robertson excelled in the six following seasons as a staple in the Yankees’ formidable bullpen. Specifically, he had an outstanding season in 2011, where he pitched to a 1.08 ERA in 66 2/3 innings with 100 strikeouts.

He decided to take his talents to the Chicago White Sox after this, as he signed with them as a free agent during the 2014 offseason. He enjoyed two successful years with the club, and he was traded back to the Yankees during the 2017 season. Consequently, he provided reliable bullpen depth for the club as they made their playoff push. In 35 innings with the Yankees, he struck out 51 batters while pitching to a 1.03 ERA.

He remained with the Yankees for the 2018 season, and had a 3.23 ERA in 69 2/3 innings with 91 strikeouts. He then leveraged his reliability into a two-year contract with the Phillies that offseason. Consequently, things did not exactly work out for Robertson and the Phillies in their first stint together. In 2019, he only pitched 6 2/3 innings, as he suffered an elbow injury that would require Tommy John Surgery.

This sidelined him until the 2021 season, where he caught on with the Rays in an attempt to elongate his career. He only pitched 12 innings that season with 16 strikeouts.

However, the 2022 season was where Robertson would reclaim his past reputation. He started out with the Cubs, and was successful in 40 1/3 innings with 51 strikeouts with a 2.23 ERA. This performance garnered the interest of the Phillies, who sought out a reunion with their former relief pitcher. As a result, he would be traded to the Phillies ahead of the trade deadline, and he continued his success there with a 2.70 ERA in 23 1/3 innings pitched and 30 strikeouts.

Robertson leveraged his comeback campaign into a $10 million contract in the offseason. Plus, he would be returning to New York, a place he called home for many years.

This time, it would be in the form of the Mets. Robertson quickly became an important piece of the Mets’ bullpen, as he had to step in as the closer after Edwin Díaz suffered a season-ending injury ahead of spring training. He performed very well in this role. In fact, he pitched to a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings with 48 strikeouts.

He also had 14 saves, which made him an attractive trade target for contenders around the league. Although Robertson had voiced his desire to stay with the Mets, he would eventually be traded to the Marlins in a trade that netted the Mets two prospects. Despite the team going against his wishes, Robertson remained a consummate professional by stating that he understands the business aspect of baseball.

That being said, Robertson’s success did not go with him to Miami. In fact, he pitched 21 1/3 innings and allowed 12 earned runs (5.06 ERA) over the course of the second half. In late August, he was removed from the closer role due to the aforementioned performance. Further, his lackluster play transferred to the postseason as well, where he pitched two innings while allowing as many runs.

His repertoire includes a cutter, curveball, slider, and changeup. He used his cutter for over half of his pitches last season, and it has worked very well for him. As a matter of fact, batters only hit .183 with a slugging percentage of .252 against his cutter in 2023. His ability to generate soft contact and miss barrels with that pitch has made him a hot commodity among contenders over the years.

Contract

Last season, the Mets paid David Robertson $10 million. Since he will be turning 39 in April, a short-term deal seems likely once again.

He is coming off another very solid season, so it would not be surprising if he commands a similar contract to the one the Mets gave him.

Bullpen arms are always in high demand, and one with Robertson’s track record is in even higher demand. Many contenders around the league will likely express interest in signing the right-handed pitcher.

Recommendation

It is very likely that the Mets will at least pursue a reunion with David Robertson. Beyond Edwin Díaz, the Mets do not have an abundance of bullpen depth that will help them fulfill their aspirations of competing for a playoff spot.

In addition, the Mets and Robertson have unfinished business. When Robertson signed with the team ahead of the 2023 season, he thought he was signing up for a deep playoff push. However, the reality of underperformance thwarted any chance of that happening this year.

In a September article by Mike Puma of the New York Post, Robertson said, “If the opportunity is right, if everything works in my favor, I would probably take the opportunity, but if not, I am not going to” regarding continuing his career.

That said, it is possible that Robertson would take a discount in order to pitch in the Northeast region, as he cited that as one of his reasons for wanting to stay with the Mets this past season.

Overall, the Mets should be plugged into Robertson’s free agency process, as he could contribute to winning baseball in 2024.