Philadelphia Phillies managed to strike a deal with free agent reliever David Robertson and signed the 33-year-old to a two-year deal. The contract, which will pay Robertson a total of $21 million, also contains a $12 million club option for 2021 with a $2 million buyout.
The Phillies confirmed the news on Thursday via their social media.
“He’s going to pitch high-leverage innings for us,” – said Phillies general manager Matt Klentak. “That’s what he’s done very effectively and consistently for a long time. The fact he has experience pitching the ninth inning is very appealing for us.”
David Robertson spent the 2018 season with the New York Yankees, playing win 69 games and ending the season with 8-3 record. He had 3.23 ERA to go with 91 strikeouts. In Philadelphia, he is expected to elevate the team’s bullpen where he will be slotted into the back end alongside Seranthony Dominguez.
“The Phillies are a great organization, and they have that hunger to get back in the postseason and they’re going in the right direction,” – said Robertson. “It’s a place where I’ll get a lot of opportunities to pitch in the back end of the bullpen and I don’t see any reason why we can’t get in the postseason.”
David Robertson made his MLB debut in 2008 and played a total of 654 games with the Yankees and Chicago White Sox. His career stats include 53-32 record with 2.88 ERA and 874 strikeouts.
