David Robertson
The pitcher who became one of the best setup men in MLB is still capable of being a shutdown closer, but David Robertson’s two-year stint with Chicago doesn’t instill a lot of confidence. After saving 39-of-44 games (88.6 percent) with the New York Yankees in 2014, Robertson has saved just 71-of-85 games (83.5 percent) with the White Sox.
His performance in the World Baseball Classic does instill some confidence, though. Granted he didn’t close, but Robertson still appeared in four games. He struck out two, while only giving up four hits and a solo home run in 3.2 innings for Team USA.
The bigger problem Chicago faces is Robertson’s contract. Robertson will make $12 million in 2017 and $13 million in 2018. Chicago is paying him like one of the top closers in the league, yet he hasn’t performed like it over the past two seasons. In fact, his average contract salary is the fourth highest among closers, according to Spotrac.
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Also, rebuilding teams like Chicago won’t want to trade young, promising players for a closer, and contending teams usually already have one. While Robertson could move back to being a setup man, it would be a hefty price to pay financially, let alone the pieces a team would have to trade the White Sox.
If Robertson has a strong start to 2017, he could be a potential trade target for teams at the deadline. Although, next season seems more realistic when teams are only on the hook for one year of his contract.
Trade Value: Average