Insider Says Phillies Reached Out to David Robertson for Possible Reunion

The Philadelphia Phillies need bullpen help.

That was apparent even before Jose Alvarado was suspended 80 games for a positive PED test.

While the relief staff has performed much better recently after getting off to a terrible start in the 2025 campaign, they still sit 21st in Major League Baseball with a 4.48 ERA.

Now, not having the star lefty for 80 games in the regular and throughout the playoffs creates a sizeable hole in that unit since he's one of the most dynamic relievers in the sport when it comes to his high strikeout and low walk rate.

With a replacement needed, the Phillies will put together a list of targets.

One of those players was David Robertson.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Philadelphia reached out to the veteran reliever about a reunion even before the Alvarado suspension was levied.

"Prior to the announcement of Alvarado's suspension, a source said the Phillies reached out to free agent David Robertson, easily the best reliever left on the open market. No serious talks took place, the source said, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Phillies considered a reunion with the 40-year-old, who has had two previous stints in Philadelphia," the insider reported.

Robertson spent last season with the Texas Rangers and was effective with a 3.00 ERA and 131 ERA+ across his 68 outings and 72 innings pitched, still possessing elite strikeout stuff with 99 K's.

He was previously acquired by the Phillies ahead of the 2022 trade deadline and performed well for them down the stretch with a 2.70 ERA in 22 appearances that was lowed to an ERA of 1.17 in eight outings during the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see if Philadelphia reaches back out to him in a more serious manner.

The fact he's still a free agent is a shock to many around the league, and since the Phillies already had a need in their bullpen, adding him at this point in time makes sense.

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