It's no secret that the Philadelphia Phillies are in need of and are seeking bullpen help. With the loss of José Alvarado to a suspension and the underperformance of veteran relievers such as Jordan Romano, the area is a clear weakness for the high-aspiring ballclub.
After signing veteran reliever David Robertson on Sunday, rumors are still swirling (paid subscription required) that the organization could make another move to fortify the inconsistencies of their relief corps, per Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
Despite the glaring need for improvements, the Phillies may have found a diamond in the rough in Daniel Robert when they acquired him from the Texas Rangers in early May.
Daniel Robert has looked solid in the Phillies' bullpen, but can he get his walks under control?
The acquisition was not seen as needle-moving at the time. Robert was viewed mainly as a depth addition for the struggling bullpen. However, since making his Phillies debut in late June, the hard-throwing right-hander has impressed.
The sample size is admittedly small. The 30-year-old has only appeared in eight games this season, but the numbers are not bad.
In those appearances, Robert has tossed six innings, allowing just one earned run and four hits with 11 strikeouts. The issue is his command. To this point, he is walking a batter an inning with six free passes surrendered.
Would the Phillies want to rely on the 2017, 21st-round draft pick out of Auburn in a high-leverage playoff matchup? No, but he is an intriguing middle-innings guy.
The experience is just not there yet for a high-leverage role as he has only appeared in a total of 12 Major League games. Something to note, however, is that his velocity on his four-seamer and cutter has jumped up almost two mph from last season, according to Baseball Savant.
The most used pitch in his four-pitch arsenal is the sweeper, which Robert has thrown 43.6 percent of the time this season and 48.5 percent last season.
The whiff percentage on the sweeper has jumped from 24 percent in 2024 to 40 percent in 2025.
The strikeout ability is there, and Robert has demonstrated that in his short time in the big leagues. While he may not be the answer to solidifying the Phillies' bullpen, he has shown that with some command improvement, he can be a reliable middle reliever.
He still has a minor league option, so there is no guarantee he is staying in Philadelphia post-trade deadline, but if he can continue to impress and limit runs, he could force the hands of the front office into keeping him around for a little while.