If there’s one area that isn’t championship caliber in Atlanta, it’s the Braves bullpen. They tried to remedy the situation by signing old friend Craig Kimbrel, but nobody should kid themselves about what he can bring to Atlanta’s relief core.
There is literally no excuse for a club with World Series aspirations to have this kind of bullpen. It’s simply not good enough, even if Kimbrel finds some magic for one last ride. There are still quality relievers out there too; one free agent, in particular, should interest Alex Anthopoulos — David Robertson.
Why the hell is Robertson still a free agent anyway? And why haven’t the Braves signed the veteran yet?
Earlier in the offseason, Robertson declined his $7 million mutual option with the Rangers. He agreed to a one-year, $10 million with Texas in January of last year and went on to post a 3.00 ERA in 72 innings, striking out 99 and walking only 27.
Though he’s 39 years old and a 16-year big league veteran, Robertson still clearly has something left in the tank. Even more, he had Tommy John surgery that ended his 2019 season prematurely and cost him the entire 2020 season, but he still only appeared in 12 games for the Rays in 2021, so you’d think he’s got fewer miles on his arm than a typical soon-to-be 40-year-old.
Since the beginning of 2022, when he signed with the Cubs, Robertson has a 2.82 ERA and 1.154 WHIP in 188 games and 201 innings. I’m not quite sure why he remains a free agent, but the Braves should absolutely be interested in David Robertson.
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