David Robertson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Before the announcement of Philadelphia Phillies left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado's 80-game suspension for violating MLB's joint drug prevention and treatment program, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reports that the Phillies reached out to free-agent reliever David Robertson, who is easily the best reliever on the open market. No serious talks took place, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the Phillies considered a reunion with the 40-year-old, who has had two previous stints in Philly. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is likely to be active as he looks to strengthen a bullpen that has struggled in 2025, especially now that Alvarado won't be eligible for the postseason. Other options the Phils could eventually purse are Marlins reliever Anthony Bender, Pittsburgh reliever Dennis Santana, the Angels' Kenley Jansen, the White Sox's Cam Booser and the Rockies' Jake Bird.

According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, the Arizona Diamondbacks have been linked to right-handed pitcher David Robertson. Robertson turned down his mutual $7 million option with the Rangers and decided to test the open market. While Robertson has been linked to several teams during the offseason, the 39-year-old has yet to find a suitor. Last summer, Robertson posted a strong 3.00 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across 72 innings of relief with the Rangers. He struck out 99 batters. He was typically deployed as the setup man as he tallied an impressive 35 holds. Under the hood, he generated a strong 5.5 percent barrel rate and a 47.0 percent ground-ball rate, which were both well above the average marks. Fantasy managers should expect Robertson to be deployed as a high-leverage reliever with his new club during the 2025 campaign.

According to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Chicago Cubs and relief pitcher David Robertson have discussed a potential reunion. The 39-year-old spent time with the Cubs during the 2022 campaign. During this 40 1/3 inning stint, Robertson posted a 2.23 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP with 14 saves. Last summer, Robertson spent the entire season with the Texas Rangers and operated as the top setup man for Kirby Yates. Across 72 innings, the right-hander held a 3.00 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. He tallied an impressive 35 holds with a strong 33.6% K rate. However, he struggled with his command as he held a high 9.4% walk rate. Levine noted that the Cubs were also interested in Paul Sewald before he signed with Cleveland. Robertson would likely have a high-leverage role in the Chicago bullpen and could even compete for save opportunities with Porter Hodge.