Rangers sign closer David Robertson to one year deal

The Texas Rangers signed closer David Robertson of Birmingham, Alabama to a one-year deal worth $11.5 million on Friday according to Kennedi Landry and Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru of mlb.com. The Rangers are the eighth Major League Baseball team Robertson has played for in his career. He has also pitched for the New York Yankees (2008 to 2014, and 2017 and 2018), the Chicago White Sox (2015 to 2017), the Philadelphia Phillies (2019 and 2022), the Tampa Bay Rays (2021), the Chicago Cubs (2022), the New York Mets (2023), and Miami Marlins (2023).

Robertson in 2023

During 62 games with the Marlins and Mets in 2023, Robertson had a record of six wins and six losses with an earned run average of 3.03, 18 saves and 10 holds. During 65 1/3 innings pitched, he gave up 53 hits, 22 earned runs, seven home runs, and 25 walks, to go along with 78 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.19.

Unexpected closer for Mets in 2023

Robertson was not expected to be the Mets’s closer to start the 2023 Major League Baseball regular season. However, things changed when Edwin Diaz of Naguabo, Puerto Rico injured his knee during the World Baseball Classic. Robertson entered the 2023 MLB regular season with 157 career saves, including a career high 39 saves with the Yankees in 2014.

Traded during the Season

Robertson was traded from the Mets to the Marlins on July 28 for minor leaguers Ronald Hernandez and Marco Vargas. The fact that the Mets traded Robertson to the Marlins was noteworthy because at the beginning of the season, the Mets were expected to be World Series contenders, while the Marlins were expected to rebuild. However, the Marlins finished the season in the playoffs and nine games better than the underachieving Mets.

World Series Champion and All-Star with the Yankees

Robertson had two noteworthy seasons with the Yankees. He won the World Series with New York in 2009, and was an All-Star in 2011. In the 2009 World Series, Robertson pitched two and a third shutout innings against the Phillies, and in 2011, pitched 70 games, and had a record of four wins and zero losses, with an earned run average of 1.08.