The Philadelphia Phillies have taken a closer-by-committee approach in the wake of José Alvarado's 80-game suspension for a positive performance-enhancing drug (PED) test. Four different pitchers have recorded saves for them since his last outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 16.
Philadelphia has gotten by without Alvarado thus far. However, they will need a full-time game-ender to maintain their status as the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League. And if it were up to the team's president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies would've already signed a stand-in for the hard-throwing left-hander.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand previously reported that the Phillies contacted free-agent reliever David Robertson — even before the Alvarado news was announced. But the insider notes that "no serious talks took place." That's probably because Dombrowski spat out his drink when he heard how much money the 2009 World Series champion wanted.
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David Robertson's ludicrous asking price prevents the Phillies from adequately replacing José Alvarado
Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, clubs that expressed interest in Robertson this past offseason "say he was seeking a one-year, $15 million deal." For context, that'd be tied with Ryan Pressly of the Chicago Cubs for the fourth-highest average annual value among closers. While the 16-year veteran remains highly effective at this stage of his career, it's hard to justify such lucrative demands.
Regardless of how desperate the Phillies may be to fill Alvarado's void, Robertson's asking price is ... steep. It's presumably why the latter remains unsigned despite several franchises needing bullpen help. Meanwhile, Nightengale's intel suggests the seasoned hurler doesn't seem willing to budge on his stance.
"[Robertson] has no plans to sign with a team now unless he receives a strong offer," Nightengale wrote.
Philly already has the league's fourth-highest payroll, and that figure could only climb with players like Kyle Schwarber in search of a payday in the near future. Do they want to make another significant investment, albeit a short-term one, especially for someone who turns 40 in September? It's a tough sell to make, if you ask us.
Nonetheless, Robertson would be a massive addition for a relief pitching staff that boasts a -0.4 Wins Above Average (WAA). He went 3-4 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.111 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 72 innings of work with the Texas Rangers in 2024. His 33.4 percent K-rate would've led the Majors if qualified.