Phillies Agree To Contract With Right-Handed Pitcher David Robertson
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images
The Phillies have finally acquired bullpen help.
According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a contract with former Phillie David Robertson. It’s a one-year deal for Robertson, who will receive close to $6 million for the rest of the season, as the deal is prorated for $16 million.
This is Robertson’s third stint with the Phillies, as he previously pitched for the Fightins back in 2019 when he signed a two-year, $23 million contract. However, he only appeared in seven games due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, essentially a non-factor during his first stint with the club.
He was then brought back to the Phillies at the trade deadline in 2022 from the Chicago Cubs for right-handed pitcher Ben Brown, and was an integral member of the Phillies bullpen and team that went to the World Series that season.
After 2022, Roberston bounced around pitching for the New York Mets, Miami Marlins, and, most recently, the Texas Rangers in 2024. He entered free agency this past winter, hoping to continue playing despite turning 40 years old this past April, but he elected to wait out until the regular season to sign with a team.
Over his 16-year MLB career, Robertson has totaled a 66-46 record over 876.2 innings pitched, 1154 strikeouts, and a 2.91 ERA. Robertson is a one-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion with the Yankees in 2009. This past season with Texas, he had an ERA of 3.00 in 72 innings, striking out 99.
Just this past weekend, Robertson held a throwing session in Providence, R.I., where multiple teams attended. Robertson reportedly had good command, and his velocity was sitting between 89-91 mph.
This is a huge help for the Phillies, as all season, the bullpen has struggled. Heading into the weekend series against the Angels, the Phillies’ bullpen ranked eighth-worst in ERA and fifth-worst in strikeouts. With the disappointing seasons from right-handed free agents Jordan Romano and Joe Ross, a right-handed arm has been heavily needed, and the Phillies may now have their answer in Robertson.
The MLB trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and this may be the start of a go big or go home deadline for Dave Dombrowski and the rest of the Phillies front office. With the World Series window possibly closing for the Fightins, it may be time to go all in if the Phillies want any chance of winning the Fall Classic.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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