The Philadelphia Phillies have taken the first step towards rectifying their bullpen woes. In a surprising turn, the Phillies signed free-agent reliever David Robertson to a one-year, $16 million deal on Sunday. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the contract will net Robertson a prorated amount of roughly $5.5 million for the remainder of 2025 (subscription required).
Robertson's last outing was on Sept. 29 of last season with the Texas Rangers, for whom he pitched to a 3-4 record, a 3.00 ERA and 99 strikeouts over 72 innings. It's not a bad signing for the Phillies, but they'll have to have some patience before we see him appear in a game.
David Robertson won't join Phillies' bullpen immediately after signing
Robertson's signing marked some desperation from the Phillies, but there's no blame or shame in trying to get some relief immediately. The 40-year-old is still effective at his age, but according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, he'll need some time to ramp up his arm before stepping foot back on a major league mound.
Robertson, once he signs, will need a ramp-up period. While he impressed in a bullpen session Saturday, he hasn’t pitched in a game since Sept. 29, 2024. Robertson would have to consent to an optional assignment to minor leagues. https://t.co/4FXeBo3puX
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) July 20, 2025
The Phillies announced Monday that the Robertson deal was official and he was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. This also marks Robertson's third stint with the Phillies, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. The others being in 2019 and their World Series run in 2022, in which he closed out Game 1 of the Fall Classic.
Robertson, like any pitcher in baseball, will need to get his arm going to face live hitters again. He worked out over the spring, but getting him signed now was more pressing. It came at a heftier price than most were expecting, but the money was available due to José Alvarado's partial forfeiture from his PED suspension.
According to Zolecki, the Phillies expect Robertson to be ready to join the team on Aug. 5, when he is first eligible to be called up after the assignment to Triple-A.
David Robertson expects to pitch for Triple-A this week. The earliest he can join the Phillies is Aug. 5, which is the expectation.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) July 21, 2025
Regardless of how long it takes Robertson to get going, it has to be better than what the Phillies are sending out on a nightly basis. What seemed like just a temporary growing pain for the club early on has now turned into a severe deficiency.
Robertson isn't the big-ticket trade deadline move like Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, who might not even be available anymore, the Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar or even the Athletics' Mason Miller, but it's a start and an injection of some kind of life. It'll be a wait until Robertson is ready; the Phillies just need to hold on and manage until then.