Should the Yankees Pursue This 40-Year-Old Free Agent Reliever?
With the issues surrounding the New York Yankees’ starting rotation and bullpen, it wouldn’t be shocking if the team turned to help on the trade market. Bullpen help is going to be at the top of the list for many competitive teams in the league, and the Yankees will have to battle it out for some of the top talent. If the prices are too high, the Yankees can choose to pivot to David Robertson, one of their former pitchers who is currently a free agent. Robertson is planning to make his return to the league as long as a team picks him up, and he is throwing for teams in the coming weeks. Currently, the Yankees are rumored to be interested in him and will be attending one of his sessions.
Robertson spent nine seasons with the Yankees during two separate stints and pitched to a 2.75 ERA. During his last season with the team in 2018, Robertson had a 3.23 ERA in 69.2 innings with 91 strikeouts. After leaving the Yankees, Robertson joined the Philadelphia Phillies, but only played in seven games before getting injured. In his most recent stint with the Texas Rangers last season, Robertson had a 3.00 ERA in 72 innings with 99 strikeouts. For the entire first half of the season, Robertson remained a free agent despite his strong numbers last season.
With the Yankees struggling this season to keep their rotation healthy, it’s assumed that they will look for help before the trade deadline. So far, the rumors surrounding the Yankees and bullpen help are pretty quiet, and most of the options on the table so far might be out of their price range. Relievers like Emmanuel Clase, Griffin Jax, and David Bednar might be made available by their respective teams, but the Yankees might have to give up one of their top prospects. With the work that pitching coach Matt Blake has put in over the past few years to get random relievers to top names, the Yankees most likely won’t deal their prospects for bullpen help. If the prices get too high, Robertson could be a piece that gives the bullpen much-needed depth. It also helps that he’s pitched quite a few innings in the Bronx in October.
