Phillies Can Solve Late-Inning Bullpen Woes Signing Veteran Free Agent

The Philadelphia Phillies have cemented their status as one of the best teams in baseball, but they do have one need that has to be addressed ahead of the MLB trade deadline: their bullpen.

More specifically, a need for another relief pitcher who has late-inning and high-leverage experience.

The Phillies lost Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez in free agency this past winter. Jose Alvarado will return down the stretch from an 80-game suspension, but he isn’t eligible to pitch in the postseason when the team needs him most.

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That has created a major void in the bullpen that has to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Many people expect Philadelphia to be aggressive ahead of the deadline, looking to make a trade for the kind of impact reliever they need.

However, they fill the need at the back end of their bullpen without trading away anyone.

That is because there is a veteran free agent still available who fits their needs perfectly: David Robertson.

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It is surprising that the veteran right-hander remains available at this point, especially with how many teams are in need of bullpen help.

His age could certainly be a deterrent for some, as he turned 40 years old in April. But his performance with the Texas Rangers last year proves that he has plenty left in the tank to offer.

Robertson made 68 appearances, throwing 72 innings with a 3.00 ERA, striking out 99 batters. He had an impressive 1.7 bWAR and ERA+ of 129.

It was the third campaign in a row that he recorded a bWAR of at least 1.7.

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Throughout his 16 years of MLB service, he has filled numerous roles, which makes him a great fit for how manager Rob Thomson operates his bullpen.

There aren’t set roles for the players, as he calls upon his best relievers when they are needed most in the game. It isn’t something everyone can handle, but an experienced veteran such as Robertson, who has filled virtually every role in a bullpen, should be capable.

He also has some experience already pitching in Philadelphia.

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Robertson made seven appearances in 2019 with the club before missing the 2020 campaign because of injury. He was back with the Phillies in 2022, acquired from the Chicago Cubs ahead of the trade deadline, and was effective through 22 regular-season appearances and eight outings in the playoffs.

Signing Robertson would also mean not having to trade away any assets to upgrade their biggest weakness.

That is an important aspect to keep in mind because the kind of relief pitchers Philadelphia is going to be targeting are going to be expensive to acquire this year ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

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