Cubs have discussed a return with former Cubs reliever David Robertson |
In what is becoming a broken record, the Cubs still need relief help, with the focus on the back end of the bullpen. With former targets Tanner Scott and Kirber Yates coming off the board to the Dodgers, the Cubs' targets are becoming slim, as this team needs to do something quickly.
When you look at the current free agent market for relievers, Carlos Estevez remains the best one on the market and, from all accounts, is still being linked to the Cubs. However, as we have seen this offseason, it doesn't matter if you're connected to anyone if a deal doesn't happen. According to Bob Nightengale, some reports are starting to surface that the Cubs may not go to the asking price Estevez is seeking, which could put them out of the running for him. As crushing as the blow may seem, all would not be lost if that were the case. David Robertson remains an option, and the two sides have been discussing a possible reunion for the past few days. Ageless David Robertson has talked to the Cubs about returning as a backend bullpen man. Robertson is one of the few players who does not use an agent. Cubs had interest in Paul Seward before he signed with Cleveland.Robby pitched for Cubs in 2022.99 K in 72 innings in 24. Could Robertson be the guy the Cubs have wanted all along? Well, if you believe in the old saying that Wine gets better with age, then Robertson is your fine bottle of Wine, as the long-time veteran is not only approaching 40 but has gotten better every year. Going after older targets has been a theme for the Cubs a lot these past two offseasons, but when you have the body of work that Robertson has put together, it's more than just a fallback plan on a guy you missed out on. Robertson has been around the game for a long time and bounced between several organizations. He is most notably known for his time with the Yankees, where he played various roles, including the setup and closer. He then moved on to the White Sox, then back to the Yankees, and ended up in Tampa Bay before enduring a series of arm injuries. Once he recovered from those injuries, Robertson began his comeback trail with the Cubs in 2022 and spent time with the Phillies and Rangers in the seasons since then. He is pitching better than he ever has. Heading into the 2025 season, Robertson has 177 career saves, which ranks second behind Kenley Jansen among free-agent relievers. He also has more than 200 holds to his name, as pitching in late-inning situations isn't an issue. Arm injuries aside, Robertson has not only gone about doing his business but is coming off a season where he threw a career-high 72 innings and did so with tons of success. For the season, Robertson appeared in 68 games, going 3-4 with an even 3.00 ERA. To go with that came 27 walks and 99 strikeouts, one strikeout below his career-high mark set in 2011. He also recorded four more saves as he continued to do what was asked of him. When Robertson first came into the league, he wasn't a hard thrower and lived around 92 MPH with his heater. The command was never an issue; he needed it to be as successful as he had been. Now, in 2025, Robertson has that same command but is throwing harder than ever, with an average fastball at 94-95 MPH. Considering his age and arm injuries, that is an impressive feat, as Robertson defies the odds. Not only is his fastball faster than it ever has been, but his cutter has remained consistent at 91 MPH and is one of the better cutters in the game. There is a reason why he throws it more than 60% of the time: he gets insane results from it. That is his primary strikeout pitch, and as long as he keeps that pitch with the above movement, he will continue to pile up the Ks. While Robertson may not have the same connection to the Cubs as he does with other teams, he did help bring in Ben Brown when he was traded, and you could make the case that the Cubs helped jump-start his late-career resurgence. In 36 games with the Cubs in 2022, Robertson threw 40 innings and posted a 3-0 mark with a 2.23 ERA. He walked 19, struck out 51, and locked down 14 of 16 save chances.
