Cubs free agent target: David Robertson

This could be a good low-cost addition to the bullpen.

The first thing you probably thought when you saw the headline here is, “Hey, Al doesn’t usually promote the Cubs signing older players.”

And you are correct. Usually, I don’t. There’s too much of a chance of regression.

I’m going to make an exception for David Robertson, who turns 40 in April.

Why?

Because Robertson has pitched very, very well since Tommy John surgery. That surgery ended his 2019 season after just seven games. He didn’t pitch at all in 2020, and then appeared in just 12 games for the Rays in 2021. So maybe there are a few less miles on his arm than a guy who’s about to be 40 years old.

Since the beginning of 2022, when he signed with the Cubs, Robertson has a 2.82 ERA and 1.154 WHIP in 188 games and 201 innings. In those appearances he has 258 strikeouts and 87 walks, both good rates, and has posted 40 saves with 20 blown saves (yes, this time I made sure to count the blown saves correctly).

In any case, yes, I think Robertson still has something left in the tank. Here is his pitch selection chart from 2024:

Baseball Savant

As you can see, he relies almost exclusively on a cutter and curveball, and has decent velocity on all his pitches. If the Cubs did sign him, he’d likely be used in a setup role for Porter Hodge, with the possibility he could close from time to time if needed, as he does have that experience (177 career saves).

Yes, I know Robertson has been around a long time. In his rookie year with the Yankees he was a teammate of Mike Mussina, who debuted in 1991. (The two pitched in the same game four times.) Nevertheless, I think at the right price he could be a useful addition to the Cubs bullpen. Say, perhaps... $3.5 million? (Why did I pick that amount? It’s exactly what the Cubs signed him for in 2022.)

Besides that, it’d be fun to see Robertson and Ben Brown as teammates, given that Robertson brought back Brown in trade from the Phillies.

What say you?