David Robertson may be coming off of injury, but the Yankees could take a flyer on a big asset. David Robertson is a very intriguing asset and has had a lot of success in New York. While he is damaged goods, we will get to see how he looks on February 11th. He won’t cost much, and if he’s good, the Yankees could get a steal for the bullpen. Cheap options for the bullpen are things the Yankees should look to hoard. When you’re spending all the money on just relievers, you have holes all over your team, so it’s time they get bargain buys for the bullpen.
David Robertson Is A Well Known Yankee
David Robertson spent 9 years as a Yankee, pitching 498 out of his 663.2 innings as a Bronx Bomber. He is all too familiar with the Yankee organization. While it may not ensure their interest in him, it would certainly give them an edge in familiarity. When it comes to acquiring players who you know can go a long way. The Yankees acquired Corey Kluber mainly due to Eric Cressey having a training facility that overlooked Kluber’s rehab. It would be a slam dunk fit for D-Rob and the Yankees, who have mutual needs.
No Velocity To Worry About
Since David Robertson has never relied on a high 90s fastball, there are no worries of a drop in velocity. He used his cutter primarily in his prime, a pitch that clocked in at 90-92 MPH. He used this with his curveball and slider to generate swings and misses, and it was very effective. There’s no fastball that blows by hitters, just pitches with spin and movement. While this doesn’t mean that he can’t at all be affected by injury, there’s no diminishing velocity to worry about. The New York Yankees have a bunch of power pitchers, and a finesse arm like D-Rob can provide a different look.
Stacking the Bullpen
With David Robertson for cheap, you don’t spend much and are able to roll this out:
Domingo German
Luis Cessa
Jonathan Loaisiga
David Robertson
Darren O’Day
Zack Britton
Chad Green
Aroldis Chapman
Now while there is some risk here, this is a phenomenally talented bullpen. This is the type of cheap depth the Yankees need to allocate assets into other parts of the team. I love Aroldis Chapman’s production, but is he really worth more than Trevor May and Kirby Yates combined? High AAV for relievers should be a thing of the past, and the Yankees should build the bullpen in a cheaper manner.
If the Yankees add David Robertson, it’s an under-the-radar pickup that can go a long way towards assembling an amazing bullpen.