Signing David Robertson Is Risk Worth Taking for Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies added a real piece to their bullpen on Sunday night when they signed David Robertson to a one-year deal.

One of the mysteries over the course of this season was about why the veteran right-hander remained unsigned coming off a fantastic campaign with the Texas Rangers in 2024 where he posted a 3.00 ERA and 128 ERA+ across 68 outings with 99 strikeouts and 27 walks in 72 innings pitched at 39 years old.

Many pointed to the money and contract he was looking for as the reason why no team was willing to bring him in, but after he was throwing for scouts across the league in an effort to catch on with someone at this stage of the summer, it was the Phillies who ultimately made the move.

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It's a risk.

No one knows what to expect out of the now-40-year-old who didn't go through a spring training and hasn't pitched in a competitive game on a big league mound since last September.

But this is a risk that's well worth the taking.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required) reported that Roberston will get paid approximately $5.5 million on a pro-rated, one-year, $16 million contract, with the actual cost for Philadelphia being roughly $12 million since they have to pay a 110% tax on every dollar they spend because they are over the fourth luxury-tax threshold.

Money isn't the factor here, though: it's what he can do on the field.

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If Robertson is able to replicate what he did with the Rangers last season -- or at least show glimpses of that during his first few upcoming appearances -- then the Phillies have one less bullpen target to pursue ahead of the trade deadline.

While they should still be looking to remake that unit, getting the production that Robertson could provide is a huge boost to their relief staff.

And if they feel confident in what he can do down the stretch and into the playoffs, that means more resources can be allocated to securing upgrades for the offense, something that has become apparent the front office needs to do.

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Again, signing Robertson is risky since it's not a given that he will jump right back into Major League action and be a high-end reliever.

But based on how that unit has performed this season, adding someone with the pedigree and history he has could go a long way in fielding a bullpen group that will not prevent them from winning the World Series championship.

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