BoSox Injection
Fansided

Red Sox free agency: Looking at potential bullpen options

By Rick McNair

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Five of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Joe Kelly #56 of the Boston Red Sox delivers the pitch during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Five of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 09: David Robertson #30 of the New York Yankees pitches in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Four American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 09: David Robertson #30 of the New York Yankees pitches in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox during Game Four American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

If the Red Sox wish to spend, and this will certainly be spending, then take a run at 34-year-old right-hander David Robertson, who has been Mr. Consistency throughout his 11-year MLB career. Robertson has already mentioned leveraging the Red Sox against the Yankees as part of his negotiations regarding a new contract.

The 2018 season saw a shift by Robertson in his mound approach with the greater use of a recently (2017) introduced slider tossing it at a 14.4% rate while decreasing his use of a fastball to a career-low 42.5% rate. Robertson also maintained his fastball velocity (92.3) and also tossed a greater number of curves (42.9%) than his career average (29.3%).

Robertson is generally considered a set-up for the closer but does have a history of closing with 137 career saves and a 79.7% save percentage. Robertson is prone to walks with a 3.6 BB/9 for his career, but that is offset by a 12.0 K/9 and 6.7 H/9 for his career.  Robertson is simply an élite out of the bullpen who is quite durable pitching 60+ games for the last eight seasons. A sure thing for late innings.

Making a run at Robertson and signing him would weaken a formidable Yankee bullpen and represent a coup for Boston and most certainly add one of the top relief arms in the game, but oh that money! Robertson earned $13 MM from New York in 2018 and is set to match and improve upon that.

VERDICT: Make an offer

Home/Red Sox News