As the July 31 trade deadline passed, there were rumors that the New York Yankees were interested in trading for another top reliever to add to their already strong bullpen. Names such as Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman were brought up, but the team was unable to make a move, as they did not want to part with their top four prospects.
On Monday morning, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the Yankees claimed a closer on waivers, and the name was a very familiar one to the Yankees’ organization.
yankees place claim on ex-closer robertson; trade from chisox seen as unlikely, though. http://t.co/nArBrm9Jjs
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) August 31, 2015
The team placed a claim on former closer David Robertson, who is now pitching for the Chicago White Sox. During the offseason, the 30-year-old elected to sign a four-year, $46 million dollar deal in Chicago, as the Yankees chose to sign Andrew Miller for $10 million dollars less. As the Yankees extended a qualifying offer to Robertson, the team received draft compensation when their former closer signed elsewhere.
This season, Robertson is 5-3 with a 2.70 ERA. He has 27 saves so far, and has posted a very impressive 0.92 WHIP. Robertson spent his first seven seasons in the big leagues with the Yankees, as he notched 39 saves in 2014 while replacing the great Mariano Rivera as the team’s closer.
The White Sox have until 2 p.m EDT to deal Robertson to the Yankees or to pull him off waivers. Heyman reported that as of Sunday night, there has been no real evidence of trade talks between the two teams, so it appears that Robertson may stay in Chicago for the time being.
Even though the White Sox have struggled, they have been happy with their investment in Robertson. He is due $38-million over the next three seasons, but the team may elect to keep him, as he has been very good for the White Sox so far.
Although a deal appears unlikely, it is very interesting that the Yankees put a waiver claim in on their former closer. If the team is somehow able to strike a deal, Robertson could add another strong arm to a bullpen that is already considered to be very good. The Yankees continue to battle for the American League East Division crown, and adding Robertson would give them a three-headed monster at the back end of the bullpen.
