Former Yankees reliever David Robertson signs with Phillies

As the Yankees continue their efforts to upgrade the bullpen, a familiar name was crossed off the list Thursday when David Robertson signed a two-year deal with the Phillies worth a guaranteed $23 million.

Robertson, 33, never seemed to be a front-burner priority for the Yankees this winter. Shortly after the season, a New York Post story described Robertson as a divisive clubhouse voice regarding the distribution of playoff shares, but on the mound, he had always been one of the Yankees’ most consistent performers. In two stints with them — the second made possible by a trade-deadline reunion in 2017 — he had a 2.75 ERA and 12.0 K/9 over nine years.

“I did speak with [general manager] Brian Cashman this offseason, but there were other options out there, and the Phillies were where I wanted to end up,” Robertson said on a conference call. “As far as the playoff share thing goes, I am not really going to discuss it. That was something between the entire team, the New York Yankees. They are a great organization, and I just would rather not discuss that.”

Last season, Robertson led all Yankees relievers with 69 appearances. He also was second in innings (69 2⁄3), behind only Chad Green (75 2⁄3), so he leaves a sizable hole to fill.

“Philly really checked off all the boxes for me,” Robertson told MLB.com. “They are hungry to get back to the postseason and win. They have a great fan base, a beautiful ballpark and a special focus on charity. They’ve put together a great squad, and I think I can bring a lot to the team in the back end of their bullpen.”

The Yankees do have other options, albeit more expensive, and have been in contact with Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino, two of the most appealing relief arms on the market.

Britton, who is represented by Scott Boras, reportedly is seeking a four-year deal in his first shot at free agency after spending the past two years working his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Boras is notorious for stretching out the process as long as possible to max out the financial interest in his clients — he also represents Bryce Harper — so the Yankees might not have the quick resolution they likely would prefer.

Ottavino, a Brooklyn native, could relish the chance to return home, but the Yankees apparently favor the familiarity that Britton already has with pitching in the Bronx and his ability to navigate the challenging AL East.

The Yankees had another well-known quantity in Robertson, a setup specialist with plenty of closer experience forged in the division.

Another strong candidate with similar credentials, Andrew Miller, signed a two-year, $25-million deal with the Cardinals last month.

The Phillies, like the Yankees, were preoccupied by the Manny Machado standoff before the holidays, but that didn’t stop them from taking care of other pressing business. General manager Matt Klentak said Thursday that he remains in touch with Machado, who reportedly received his first formal offer from the White Sox. The Yankees presumably will move ahead with other matters as well, considering there has been no timetable for Machado’s decision.

The Yankees have checked off a few significant boxes for their offseason, primarily in the rotation, where they added CC Sabathia, James Paxton and J.A. Happ. While that was a crucial area to upgrade, the only new face is Paxton, who was acquired in a November trade with the Mariners and shares top billing with Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka.

The
Yankees also added former All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki for the major-league minimum salary ($550,000), thanks to his release by the Blue Jays with $38 million left on his contract. The Yankees have not announced the deal, which reportedly was agreed to Monday, but if Tulowitzki is fully recovered from double-heel surgery, they not only have Didi Gregorius’ replacement but also a hedge in case Machado signs elsewhere.

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.