Former Cubs reliever David Robertson could a solid option again |
It's hard to believe that pitchers and catchers will be reporting in just over a month, and spring training will be underway. As close as that may seem, several organizations, including the Chicago Cubs, have plenty of work to do to prep for the regular season.
According to recent reports surrounding the position grades of each team, the Cubs' bullpen is currently ranked 26th in baseball, which has to be a concern for everyone involved, especially after last season. This is a team coming off an 83-win season, but they saw themselves blow 27 saves throughout the year. You would think that the bullpen would've been a massive focus for the front office in hopes of avoiding that, but here we are one month away from Spring, and the pen is still an issue. If there were to be some hope in this situation, 25 of the top 30 relievers would still be available on the open market, and you should expect to see them start to go quickly. That includes an old friend, David Robertson, who continues to do his thing despite approaching the age of 40. When the Cubs signed Robertson back in 2022, the goal was for him to stabilize the bullpen until someone else was ready to take over. Not only did he stabilize it, but he emerged as one of the best relievers in the National League that season and wound up getting traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a deal that worked out for both parties as the Phillies got a bonafide back-of-the-pen reliever while the Cubs wound up landing Ben Brown, who appears to have an incredibly bright future. Anytime you have been in the league as long as Robertson has, you must be doing something right, and despite his overall success, he is still looking for work for 2025. That falls into the Cubs' plans, as he could become a cheap and short-term option for the eighth and ninth innings. This would be a massive upgrade for what this current team offers. There is no knocking Robertson's overall success on the mound, as he has been successful everywhere he has gone. His New York Yankees days were when he was at his best, but after undergoing a pair of arm surgeries in 2019 and 2021, many thought his career might be coming to an end. Here we are four years later, and Robertson is not only approaching his age 40 season but continues to pitch at a level that would make him a massive upgrade for any team. Since signing with the Cubs in 2022, Robertson has been about as good as you can ask from any reliever, as he has posted a 2.82 in those three years, covering a total of 201 innings and 188 games. His 87 walks and 258 strikeouts are also outstanding numbers, as are his 40 saves during those years, with 21 coming with the Cubs. The big concern is the 20 blown saves in those three years, as Robertson hasn't been as lockdown of a guy as he once was, but he still can get the job done, even if it looks shaky at times. Last season is a prime indication that he still has something left in the tank, as he posted an even 3.00 across 68 games, going 3-4 and recording two saves in 72 innings. He also walked 27 and struck out 99, as his stuff looked the best in years. Speaking of his stuff, Robertson may not have the 96 MPH velocity he once had, but with 93-94 consistently and adding some nice cutting movement to that heater, he still has a fastball that can carry well in this league. As has been the case most of his career, it was the secondary stuff that led to his success in 2024, as the 84 MPH curveball was his primary out pitch, along with an 83 MPH slider. Robertson also has an 88 MPH change and a 93 MPH sinker in his back pocket, but those pitches are so seldom used that he is a three-pitch guy. Usually, you never want your team to rely on guys approaching 40, but with 177 career saves and more than 200 holds under his belt, that type of experience is something every pen needs. With guys like Porter Hodge and potentially Brown slated to be part of the back end of the Cubs pen, Roberston wouldn't be brought in to be the closer. Instead, he would most likely be the setup man for Hodge and could fill in as the closer when needed. Expected to land a one-year contract of around four million dollars, you could find it far worse for the Cubs to spend their money on him than on him.
