Phillies Sign David Robertso Phillies Sign David Robertso

July 21: The Phillies announced that theyve signed Robertson to a one-year deal. Hes consented to be optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where hell ramp up in preparation for his 2025 debut. July 20: The Phillies and free agent reliever are in agreement on a major league contract, . The self-represented Robertson did not sign with a team over the winter but has stayed in shape and has been throwing for interested clubs recently. MLB.coms Mark Feinsand that Robertson will be paid a prorated $16MM salary for the remainder of the season. That comes out to just over $6MM through seasons end ($6.021MM Hunter Dozier Jersey a suming it becomes official tomorrow). This is Robertsons second free-agent deal with the Phillies and the third time overall that the Phils have acquired him. He inked a two-year, $23MM deal in the 2018-19 offseason that didnt wind up paying off for the team, as the typically durable reliever wound up requiring Tommy John surgery and pitching only 6 2/3 total innings during the life of that contract. Philadelphia reacquired the righty in a 2022 trade that sent young righty back to the Cubs, and Robertson was excellent as the Phillies mounted a charge all the way to the World Series. That Tommy John procedure came during Robertsons age-34 season, and he didnt return to a big league mound until the 2021 campaign. Hes emphatically silenced any concerns about his ability to restore his status as a high-end reliever. Hes now pitched 200 games and logged a 2.92 in 213 regular season innings since undergoing surgery. That includes a terrific 2024 season in Texas, where Robertson pitched 72 innings with a 3.00 ERA, a 33.4% strikeout rate, a 9.1% walk rate, two saves and 34 holds as the primary setup option to . Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was candid earlier this month in calling out bullpen help as his primary focus at this years trade deadline. Robertson is a potential major addition who helps on multiple levels. Hes obviously a decorated high-leverage arm coming off a strong season, and adding the lone marquee reliever on the free-agent market leaves the Phillies farm system intact as they look to pursue other bullpen upgrades. Beyond that, Robertson is a fresh arm whos no stranger to pitching in the postseason a key component for a Phillies club who lost lefty to an 80-game PED suspension earlier this year that renders him ineligible to pitch in the playoffs. On the season, Philadelphia relievers rank 23rd with a 4.36 ERA. Theyve been better over the past month (3.89 ERA) but still have a top-heavy unit thats been anchored by , and doing a disproportionate level of the heavy lifting. Offseason additions (7.08 ERA) and (5.31 ERA) havent worked out as hoped. Robertson will likely need a minor league tune-up before hes ready to join the Phillies bullpen. Its not clear what his precise timeline is, but it stands to reason that both he and Alvarado eligible to return on Aug. 19 will both be in the late-inning mix within the next month. The Phillies figure to remain active on the trade market as they look for a second reliever to add to the mix, and they could potentially seek an outfield upgrade as well. Daniel Lynch Iv Jersey