Although I wouldn’t quite call it an expectation that the Cubs will add another late-inning-type reliever even after trading for Ryan Pressly, it’s pretty clear from the reporting – and the budget – that they are open to it.
With that in mind, and noting that we’ve seen a good many names mentioned in connection with the Cubs (several of whom went off the board yesterday), I want to highlight Bruce Levine’s continued comments on old friend David Robertson.
At Marquee, Levine said Robertson was the one to keep an eye on:
"Keep your eye on David Robertson … that would be another key addition."@MLBBruceLevine could see David Robertson back in a Cubs uniform ? pic.twitter.com/vgu56RapTS
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) January 29, 2025Further, in his latest at 670 The Score, rounding up a range of rumors, Levine mentioned only one reliever by name:
“Beyond Bregman, the Cubs have also been in contact with 39-year-old reliever David Robertson, who’s coming off a strong year in 2024 in which he posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 68 appearances for the Rangers. Robertson struck out 12.4 batters per nine innings. Robertson is a unicorn of sorts in that he has represented himself in contract negotiations for most of his career.”
It’s clear that Levine has heard about the Cubs talking to Robertson, and heard it in a way to make him believe a signing is a very real possibility, even after Pressly.
Given the comps in this market, Robertson figures to be looking at about $8 to $12 million, which I’m guessing is on the high end of what the Cubs are willing to do with the $10 to $15 million they have left in the offseason budget (that is my guess, not something they have explicitly stated (and I guess I can’t COMPLETELY rule out ownership making some special allowance to go beyond the luxury tax even before the season starts (though I doubt it))).
That is all to say, if the Cubs are still talking to Robertson, my guess is there’s a dance going on with him and a few teams, all to see who might get him near the range of what Kirby Yates got (one year, $13 million), while the teams try to get him closer to what Tommy Kahnle got (one year, $7.75 million).
Robertson, who turns 40 in April, did not show any signs of decline in 2024, by the results or the peripherals. Indeed, in a lot of ways, it was his best season in like five years (3.00 ERA, 2.65 FIP, 33.4% K, 9.1% BB, 72.0 IP, 5.5% barrel, 48.8% groundball). If this guy were a few years younger, he’d probably be looking at a very large multi-year deal.
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