A year ago, a Yankees homegrown All-Star bolted for a lousy American League West team.
Could David Robertson follow the trail blazed by Robinson Cano?
The Astros have communicated with Robertson’s agent Scott Leventhal to express their interest in the Yankees’ closer, an industry source said.
MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reported on Nov. 13, on Twitter, that the Astros were “going hard” to get a top closer on the market, and McTaggart identified Robertson, Andrew Miller (most recently of Baltimore) and San Francisco’s Sergio Romo by name, though only Robertson ended the 2014 season as a closer.
Whether the Astros are willing to go hard enough to give Robertson the four-year contract he desires, for roughly $13 million per season, is unclear. What is clear is Houston has expressed a willingness, through its actions this offseason, to elevate its payroll after fielding some bargain-basement squads, and it also desperately needs relief help if it is to climb back into relevance.
Cano, of course, bolted the Yankees in December 2013 to sign a 10-year, $240-million contract with the Mariners, who had finished below .500 from 2010 through 2013. With Cano as their most valuable everyday player, the M’s ended that schneid by going 87-75 in 2014.
The Astros are tied with the Mets for the longest current run of sub-.500 play in Major League Baseball, as both clubs have posted six straight losing seasons. By going 70-92 in 2014, the Astros actually put up their best record since 2010, when they went 76-86. Their relievers tallied a woeful 4.80 ERA, and they converted just 54.39 percent (31-for-57) of their save opportunities, worst in the AL.
Robertson, 29, excelled in his first season as the Yankees’ closer and showed no anxiety about replacing retired icon Mariano Rivera. The right-hander cashed in on 39 of his 44 save chances, and he put up a 3.08 ERA, striking out 96 and walking 23 in 63 games totaling 64 ¹/₃ innings.
On Nov. 10, Robertson turned down the Yankees’ one-year, $15.3 million qualifying offer, thereby requiring another team to give up a draft pick for signing him. Since the Astros finished among the 10 worst teams this past season, their first-round pick is protected and they would therefore sacrifice only their second-round pick for signing a compensation free agent such as Robertson.
The Yankees want to retain several of their own free agents, but their other primary targets — third baseman Chase Headley and right-hander Brandon McCarthy — played with the team for just a few months, after arriving in midseason trades. Robertson, on the other hand, came aboard as a 17th-round draft pick in 2006, made his major league debut with the Yankees in 2008 and worked his way up the bullpen ladder before getting designated as Rivera’s successor.
As much as the Yankees like Robertson both personally and professionally, they have not expressed a willingness to guarantee four years to him. Last year, the Yankees let Cano walk rather than match the Mariners’ offer. The Yankees could be tested again by an unlikely suitor this time.
If Robertson departs, the Yankees likely would increase their engagement with free agents Miller, who is left-handed, and right-hander Luke Gregerson, while hoping stud setup man Dellin Betances could help fill the closer void, as well.