The Philadelphia Phillies are in a great spot as the calendar turns to June. At 34-19, the Phillies hold a 1.5-game lead over the New York Mets for first place in the National League East Division and could put more space between their division rivals when they open a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.
While the Phillies look good right now, they’ll be looking for improvements in the summer months. One of those areas is in the bullpen, where Philadelphia relievers rank 23rd with a 4.61 ERA in 171.2 innings. The bullpen also got weaker when Jose Alvarado was slapped with an 80-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, and they’ll need to find a replacement as he is ineligible for the postseason.
It’s led some to speculate there could be a reunion with a former reliever, but that possibility has become complicated due to his demands for a return.
David Robertson is Halting Reunion With Phillies Over Contract Demands
The Phillies could turn to former reliever David Robertson to solve their bullpen woes. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that Philadelphia reached out to the veteran even before Alvarado was suspended, but it could come down to whether the price is right on a new contract.
Robertson played just under two seasons with the Phillies during his career, including a failed stint during the 2019 season. While the former All-Star was limited to 18.2 innings from 2019 to 2022 due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery, he revived his career in 2022 by posting a 2.23 ERA in 40.1 innings with the Chicago Cubs.
The renaissance led Robertson to have a more successful second stint in Philadelphia after he was acquired at the 2022 trade deadline. He tossed a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings during the regular season and a 1.17 ERA over eight postseason appearances to help the Phillies reach the World Series, but he left the following offseason to sign with the New York Mets.
Robertson also has pitched for the Miami Marlins and Texas Rangers since his last stop in Philadelphia and pitched well with a 3.00 ERA and a 33.3% strikeout rate last season. But he remains out of baseball as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the right-hander was seeking a one-year, $15 million contract last winter. At 40 years old, no team is likely to come up with the cash to sign Robertson. But Nightengale also stated that Robertson won’t sign with someone “unless he receives a strong offer.”
With the Phillies’ $284 million payroll well over the $248 million luxury tax threshold, they could be reluctant to add another high-priced player into the mix. Still, the Phillies need to do something about their bullpen and it could open the door to add Robertson or somebody else in the coming months.