New York Mets
The Mets have shown interest in Robertson earlier this offseason. The Sox closer spent his first seven years in the MLB with the Yankees, so he knows how to handle the rigors of playing in New York.
The team’s closer Juerys Familia is likely to face an MLB suspension after he was arrested on a Domestic Violence charge. While the charges were dropped, Familia is still expected to receive punishment from the MLB. Robertson would serve as the team’s closer until Familia returns.
The Mets bullpen is full of talent including Addison Reed, Jerry Blevins and Hansel Robles. When Familia returns, the team would have one of the best bullpens in all of the MLB.
As the team looks to make it back to the World Series, a talented bullpen coupled with possibly the best pitching staff in the NL could put them toe to toe with the Chicago Cubs.
Toronto Blue Jays
Like the Mets, the Blue Jays have shown interest prior interest in Robertson. The team already has Roberto Osuna as their closer, meaning Robertson would be their setup man.
With the team recently signing Joe Smith, it seemed as if the Blue Jays would be out on Robertson. But like the Nationals, the team could still make a play if they feel their bullpen needs more help.
Smith is coming off of an injury prone season which saw him appear in just 54 games. If he were to get hurt again, perhaps the Blue Jays could show renewed interest in Robertson.
For now, the Blue Jays are like the Nationals and seem to have filled their bullpen need. However they have showed interest in the past and could make a move if the team suffers an injury.
New York Yankees
The Yankees serve as the last team that has “shown interest in the past” on this list. And perhaps they make the most sense.
While the team did sign Aroldis Chapman this offseason, they lost a huge member of their bullpen when they traded Andrew Miller. Chapman, Miller and Dellin Betances were a dominant back end of the bullpen and were dubbed “No-Run DMC”.
While Robertson doesn’t offer the same nickname potential he would again give the Yankees dominant late-inning relief. As the team looks to make the playoffs in 2017, Robertson would help bridge the gap to Chapman and would be one of the better setup men in the league.
The Yankees have more than enough prospects to get a deal done. If they still view the bullpen as a position of weakness, there’s a chance they make a move to bring Robertson home.
Los Angeles Angels
The Angels haven’t even been remotely connected to Robertson this offseason. But if the team is truly in a “win-now” mode, a solid closer will be a necessity.
The team brought in Luis Valbuena and Danny Espinosa among others while trading for Cameron Maybin and extending Kole Calhoun. The Angels have also been connected to Matt Wieters and are considered one of the favorites to sign him. Los Angeles has looked much more like buyers than sellers this offseason.
Roster Resource currently has Huston Street projected as the team’s Opening Day closer. Street is coming off a 6.45 ERA season and looks to be a shell of himself at 33 years old.
The next best option for the Angels is Cam Bedrosian. Bedrosian is coming off an injury that limited to just 45 games in 2016. While he has been impressive during his time in the MLB, Robertson is a veteran closer who has proven he can succeed at a high level.
There’s a chance the Angels plan fails, taking them out of the playoff hunt and therefore out of the Robertson hunt. But if the team does end up being a contender, David Robertson could be the missing piece to success.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners already have one of the best young closers in the game in Edwin Diaz. He is going to be the team’s closer for many years to come.
But outside of Diaz, Seattle doesn’t have many bullpen pieces that strike fear in opponent’s eyes. Nick Vincent, Evan Scribner, Dan Altavilla aren’t names you would expect on any All Star ballots.
Adding Robertson gives the team a true former All Star to set up for Diaz. While Diaz has been successful, Robertson could help mentor him as he continues to grow in the MLB.
Seattle’s General Manager Jerry Dipoto has proven this offseason that he isn’t afraid of making a trade. As the Mariners try to end the longest postseason drought in the MLB, adding Robertson to their bullpen could do the trick.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves have shown interest in Jose Quintana in the past. If those talks resurface, Atlanta would be smart to try to acquire Robertson along with the Sox ace.
Jim Johnson is projected to be the team’s closer this season. While he had a successful 2016, Johnson held a 10.13 ERA in 2015 in just 18 innings. Going on age 34 it’s hard to tell which Johnson the Braves will actually get in 2017.
The Braves do have an impressive setup man in Arodys Vizcaino, but adding Robertson gives Atlanta more depth overall. There’s even a possibility the team could trade Vizcaino, leaving the 8th inning role to Robertson.
Atlanta hasn’t come out and said they’re contenders, but their actions over the offseason make it seem like they feel they can compete. Adding Robertson would give them a solid back end of the bullpen piece.
Did I miss a team? Who do you think David Robertson will be traded to? Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14
