Cubs reliever David Robertson could be on Mets' wish list by trade deadline
David Robertson of the Cubs throws a pitch during the ninth inning of a game against the Red Sox at Wrigley Field on July 2 in Chicago. Credit: Getty Images/Nuccio DiNuzzo
CHICAGO — In a four-game series against the Cubs, which will take them to the All-Star break that begins Sunday night, the Mets are getting an up-close look at their potential future teammate: Chicago closer David Robertson.
The Mets need bullpen help. Robertson, a free agent after the season and a highly effective reliever for a non-contending team, is available. Clubs have until the Aug. 2 trade deadline to make deals, and the righthanded Robertson is just one of a bunch of names the Mets can and will consider. So for now consider it an option that on paper tlooks like an awfully good one.
Robertson, amid a huge comeback season at age 37, has been mentally preparing to get dealt — and is looking forward to the ensuing playoff chase, whichever team it comes with.
“I don’t know where I’ll end up. I’m kind of a piece that, I can kind of do just about [anything],” Robertson said Thursday afternoon, before the Mets-Cubs opener. “I’ll pitch anywhere. I don’t really care. If you want to use me early in the games, that’s fine. If you want to use me late in the games, that’s fine. I can kind of mix in and fill gaps just about anywhere in a bullpen.”
A bonus line on Robertson’s resume: He knows New York. The Mets wouldn’t have to worry about how he’ll respond to the pressures of the spotlight (or wonder if he’ll pull a stunt like giving fans a thumbs-down, a la Javier Baez, their top trade acquisition last year).
Robertson got his major-league start with the Yankees, where he was an All-Star in 2011, succeeded Mariano Rivera as the closer in 2014 and returned in a deadline deal in 2017. Performing in baseball’s biggest market is not a big deal, said Robertson, who added that he hasn’t “really thought about” the New York possibility specifically.
“I’m just going to come in there and do the best I can,” he said. “You’re going to win some, you’re going to lose some, you’re going to go out there and absolutely suck. And when that happens you just gotta own up to it. It happens. It’s not for a lack of effort, that’s for sure. No matter where I’m at, I’m always giving it everything I’ve got trying to get the job done.”
The other relevant New York connection is Mets general manager Billy Eppler, who was a Yankees executive during Robertson’s first stint there. Robertson called Eppler “a friend of mine.”
Robertson’s numbers this year, entering play Thursday, included a 2.10 ERA — higher than it was, actually, after one-run blown save chances against the Brewers and Dodgers recently — 1.02 WHIP and 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He had been as good against lefthanded hitters as righthanded ones.
That is a remarkable comeback after he barely pitched from 2019-21 because of Tommy John surgery. He totaled 24 2/3 innings those years and is at 34 1/3 already this year. His only stay on the sidelines this season was due to COVID-19 in May.
“It took me a little longer than I thought to get my feet back under me. It’s tricky,” Robertson said of the illness, noting that he’s all good now. “The [Tommy John] surgery was successful. I’ve been able to throw the ball really well and not have any setbacks in the physical part of it.”
In 14 seasons in the majors, Robertson has been traded just once, that 2017 deal between the White Sox and the Yankees (which also sent Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle to the Bronx).
Then, Robertson and his wife had a 3-week-old. Now, they have a 3-month-old.
“The move is going to really make life a little tougher,” Robertson said. “It’s kind of the price you have to pay to get a shot at the World Series sometimes. Or at least the postseason.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
