Mets’ David Robertson More Concerned With Winning Than Closing

David Robertson could have signed with a team in need of a closer. Instead, he joined the New York Mets and will set-up for Edwin Díaz.

With 157 saves on his résumé – including 20 in 2022 – David Robertson could have signed with a closer-needy team this offseason.

Instead, he inked a one-year, $10 million contract with the Mets. New York already had a closer in Edwin Díaz, the 2022 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year, so Robertson will serve as a setup man barring anything unforeseen.

But Robertson doesn’t require a designated inning each day. He’s fine entering the game whenever he’s needed.

"I've never been a guy who really cares when I pitch. I want to win,” Robertson said Wednesday during his introductory Zoom call with the Mets. “Sometimes there's somebody who's better suited to be at the backend than me, and that's fine with me. It doesn't bother me one bit. I just got to get the ball to that guy because that's what he's there for. I don't really worry about it. I'll throw the first inning to the ninth; it doesn't matter to me."

Robertson, 37, has spent most of his career as a high-leverage reliever. He owns a 2.89 ERA over 731 games, but he’s gone back and forth with closing.

He picked up just eight saves in his first six seasons with the Yankees before inheriting the closer’s role from Mariano Rivera in 2014. Robertson parlayed that 39-save season, a career-high, into a deal with the White Sox. He continued to close in Chicago for two-and-a-half more seasons before the Sox traded him back to the Yankees in 2017. 

Thirteen of Robertson’s 14 saves that season came with the White Sox, and he added five more saves with the Yanks in 2018.

Robertson, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019, is now coming off a resurgent season with the Cubs and Phillies. In addition to his 20 saves, he recorded a 2.40 ERA with 11.5 K/9 and helped Philadelphia reach the World Series. He notched a save in Game 1.

The Astros beat the Phillies in the Fall Classic, however. Now Robertson is trying to finish the job with the Mets after winning it all with the Yankees in 2009.

As far as he’s concerned, that’s more important than racking up saves.

"I'm gonna try to be as helpful as I possibly can in any way I can,” Robertson said. “But it doesn't matter to me that I'm not throwing in the ninth inning."