In a bid to improve their bullpen, the Texas Rangers are scouring the free agent market for relief pitchers, with one established veteran getting a long look from the defending World Series champs.
GM Chris Young and the Rangers “are showing interest in David Robertson” per the NY Post’s Jon Heyman.
Robertson has pitched for seven different clubs across his 15-season MLB career. Most recently, he split the 2023 season between the New York Mets and Miami Marlins, when he notched 18 saves in 24 opportunities between the two teams.
The right-hander has bounced around MLB in recent seasons, never spending more than one year with a club since a two-season stint with the New York Yankees in 2017 and 2018.
Despite his nomadic tendencies as of late, Robertson has generally remained effective. He posted a 173+ ERA in 2022, a season he split between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. His 2023 resulted in a 143+ ERA.
Rangers look to build on WS title
Heading into the 2023 season, all eyes were focused on the starting pitching the Rangers boasted.
Big-ticket free agents Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi garnered all the attention as expectations for Texas rose.
deGrom ended up missing most of the season after tearing the UCL in his right elbow. Eovaldi performed admirably all the way through the club’s World Series win, starting Games 1 and 5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But Young admittedly didn’t build the team’s bullpen depth to where it needed to be, and it showed as the season hit August and beyond.
Relief pitching is an often volatile commodity, but at least the Rangers have recognized they need to address that weakness. Pursuing proven performers such as Robertson seems like a smart play.
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