Phillies sign familiar face David Robertson to help bolster bullpen
The Phillies are brining the righty reliever back for a third time. He was part of the team that went to the 2022 World Series.
The Phillies are bringing back an old friend to help solve their bullpen woes, as the team signed David Robertson on Sunday, a major league source confirmed. The deal, which is pending a physical, is a prorated $16 million deal worth over $5 million.
The 40-year-old reliever has been a free agent after pitching last season for Texas. Robertson had a 3.00 ERA in 68 appearances for the Rangers but declined a $7 million option for 2025.
The Phillies are thin on late-inning options as their bullpen has missed the suspended Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman, who signed before the season with Toronto. Their bullpen ERA (4.33) is the eighth worst in the majors.
Robertson signed a two-year contract with the Phillies in 2019 but injuries, including Tommy John surgery, limited him to just seven games. The Phils acquired him again in a 2022 trade and he closed out Game 1 of the World Series in gut-wrenching fashion. He had a 2.70 ERA that season for the Phillies. This will be his 17th major league season.
Inquirer reporter Scott Lauber contributed to this article.