Inside The Phillies

Phillies Bring Back Reliever David Robertson on Expensive Deal for Rest of Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have brought back their former reliever, David Robertson, for the rest of this year on an expensive deal.
Dylan Sanders|
Nov 2, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher David Robertson (30) pitches against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning in game four of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park.
Nov 2, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher David Robertson (30) pitches against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning in game four of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have made a major addition to their bullpen, bringing back a former reliever for the rest of this season.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand broke the news on Sunday afternoon that the Phillies would be signing 40-year-old reliever David Robertson on a pro-rated $16 million deal for the rest of the season. He will make around $5 million in total for just the second half.

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That's a hefty price to pay an aging veteran for half a season. He won't be their highest-paid relief pitcher, though, as Taijuan Walker is now in the bullpen and making $18 million this season.

Robertson could very well be worth every penny, though. He is an experienced arm that should be able to come in and provide some stability to a group that has struggled.

Philadelphia's bullpen has a staff ERA of 4.36, which ranks No. 23 in baseball. Their righties are even worse at a 4.85 ERA.

Add in the fact that Jose Alvarado will have to miss the postseason due to his current suspension, and it becomes clear that the Phillies needed more help.

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Robertson likely won't be the only move that they make, but it's a good start.

He most recently pitched for the Texas Rangers last year. He looked about as solid as ever as he posted a 3.00 ERA with a 1.111 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 72 innings of work. If he could come back and provide that level of production, this would be an absolute win of a signing.

This will be Robertson's third stint in Philadelphia, the most recent before this came in the second half of 2022. He has a 3.30 ERA with a 1.533 WHIP over 30 innings in a Phillies uniform.

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For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.

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Dylan Sanders
DYLAN SANDERS

Dylan Sanders graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree from the Manship School of Mass Communication in 2023. He was born in raised in Baton Rouge, LA but has also lived in Buffalo, NY. Though he is a recent graduate, he has been writing about sports since he was in high school, covering different sports from baseball to football. While in college, he wrote for the school paper The Reveille and for 247Sports. He was able cover championships in football, baseball and women's basketball during his time at LSU. He has also spent a few years covering the NFL draft and every day activities of the New Orleans Saints. He is a Senior Writer at Inside the Marlins and will also be found across Sports Illustrated's baseball sites as a contributing writer. You can follow him on Twitter or Instagram @dillysanders

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