Phillies reportedly bring back old friend David Robertson

David Robertson is back for a third stint. 

The right-handed reliever has agreed to a major league contract with the Phillies, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that the deal is worth $16 million “prorated for the remainder of the season.” That works out to just over $5 million, per The Athletic.

Robertson, 40, reportedly threw for scouts over the weekend. The Mets and Yankees were among the teams in the bidding for Robertson, according to The Athletic. 

Robertson, a 16-year MLB veteran, first signed with the Phillies prior to 2019 on a two-year, $23 million deal. He pitched in seven games before eventually undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of that year. 

The team acquired him again at the 2022 trade deadline in a deal that sent pitching prospect Ben Brown to the Chicago Cubs. He pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 22 regular season games. He pitched in game one of the Wild Card series, missed the Division Series after straining his calf while celebrating a Bryce Harper home run and closed out Game 1 of the World Series. Without Ranger Suárez’s ninth inning heroics, he would have been known as the guy that blew the lead in the “Bedlam at the Bank” game. 

Signing Robertson as a free agent frees up prospect capital for perhaps an even bigger bullpen acquisition, or a new bat in the lineup. The Phillies are expected to be in the market for at least one high-leverage reliever. Perhaps the Alec Bohm injury, and the continued struggles up-and-down the Phillies lineup, are enough motivation for the Phillies to acquire a middle-of-the-order bat.