The Philadelphia Phillies are bolstering their bullpen, reaching an agreement with veteran free-agent right-hander David Robertson, according to sources. The deal is pending a physical.
Robertson will sign a contract for the remainder of the 2024 season, earning a pro-rated salary of approximately $5.5 million from a full-season value of $16 million. Due to the team’s spending, the actual cost to the Phillies will be around $12 million, which includes the 110 percent tax for exceeding MLB’s fourth luxury-tax threshold.
The move addresses a critical need for Philadelphia, whose bullpen entered Sunday ranked 23rd in the majors in ERA. The team is also without its top reliever, José Alvarado, who is serving an 80-game suspension for violating MLB’s joint drug agreement. While Alvarado is expected to return in August, he will be ineligible for the postseason.
Robertson, who turned 40 in April, held a workout for teams in Providence, R.I., on Saturday. He has not appeared in a game since late September of last year. During the 2023 season with the Texas Rangers, he posted a 3.00 ERA with 99 strikeouts and 27 walks across 72 innings. He became a free agent after declining his mutual option with the Rangers, accepting a $1.5 million buyout.
This will mark Robertson’s third stint with the Phillies. He originally signed a two-year, $23 million deal with the club in 2019 but appeared in only seven games before undergoing Tommy John surgery. The Phillies reacquired him in a July 2022 trade with the Chicago Cubs.
Now entering his 17th major league season, Robertson’s extensive career also includes time with the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, and New York Mets. Both the Yankees and Mets were reportedly among the teams interested in signing the 2011 All-Star before he reached an agreement with Philadelphia.
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