Appreciating David Robertson
An IBWAA writer salutes the oft-underrated setup reliever.
Voting Closes Friday For SABR Analytics Research Awards
Cast your vote for the SABR Analytics Conference Research Awards until Feb 6 and choose your favorite analytical baseball research and commentary from 2025. You can vote at ibwaa.com/sabr-voting and at Baseball Prospectus, FanGraphs and SABR.org. The winners will be announced and presented during the conference on Feb. 27-March 1 in Phoenix.
As a longstanding partner with SABR (Society for American Baseball Research), the IBWAA is proud to co-host voting for the annual SABR Analytics Awards on our site and among our member base.
Pregame Pepper
News you can use, misuse, abuse . . .
. . . Hat Trick Dept.—The Hall of Fame has announced the hat logos for the three players to be inducted this coming summer: Carlos Beltrán will be shown as a Met; Andruw Jones, as a Brave; and, Jeff Kent, as a Giant.
For Jones and Kent the choice probably seemed obvious, since their best years hands down were with those teams. Beltrán might have been a trickier pick at first glance, but the Hall noticed what a glance at Baseball Reference would affirm: His Mets tenure edged his Royals tenure out for games,WAR, home runs, OBP, slugging, OPS, and OPS+.
The trio will be inducted on 26 July.
Beltrán becomes only the third Hall of Famer whose plaque will show him as a Met, beside Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.
Jones becomes the eighth Hall of Famer whose plaque will show him as an Atlanta Brave, beside players Phil Niekro, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones, and Fred McGriff, plus manager Bobby Cox.
Kent becomes the sixth Hall of Famer whose plaque will show him as a San Francisco Giant, beside Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, Gaylord Perry, and Orlando Cepeda.
. . . Dragon the Line Dept.—The Giants’s president/chief executive officer calls the Dodgers baseball’s dragon to slay . . . but it doesn’t mean he thinks that’s such a terrible thing. You might care to remember this, because it’s not every decade that someone tied to the Giants makes nice about the Dodgers.
“I think having a dragon to slay in a sport . . . [is] not all bad,” said Larry Baer to radio host Dan Patrick on Monday.
The Yankees did that in baseball, you could say that's the Dodgers now. Having a dragon to slay isn't necessarily a bad thing for the sport. We want to beat the Dodgers, and we want to be at the top of the division, and one day we want to be the dragon to slay . . . So hats off to the Dodger organization, because they've done it with obviously high price players, but they've also done it with farm system and development.
Make very careful note of that, boys and girls. That’s the president of the Dodgers’s number one, from-time-or-the-National-League-immemorial, single-most-hated rival talking. (The Giants, in case you’re wondering, have ownership worth about $6.1 billion.) Baer says what should be obvious and usually is, to people who look behind and through the dollars spent: The Dodgers didn’t win two straight World Series by checkbook alone.
(The Giants’s offseason has looked quiet, but they’ve been tightening their roster likewise and made one splash in signing slick-swinging second baseman Luis Arraez to a $12 million deal for 2026.)
Hear the entire interview here:
. . . Triple Play Dept.—As in, a three-way deal Monday that sent All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan from the Cardinals to the Mariners. Here’s the scorecard: The Cardinals—Also sent the Mariners RHP Jurrangelo Cijntje. The Mariners—Send third baseman Ben Williamson to the Rays and outfield prospect Tai Peete to the Cardinals. The Rays—Sent the Cardinals outfield prospect Colton Ledbetter. The Mariners and the Rays—Each sent the Cardinals a competitive-balance Round B pick.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan says that deal was one of a number of three-way deals the Cardinals considered for moving Donovan as the Redbirds continue a rebuild. Even as they also moved RHP Sonny Gray and catcher Willson Contreras to the Red Sox, Donovan was the Cardinal drawing the most trade interest this winter, Passan noted.
Main Street Blues Dept.—Six teams have elected to ditch regional sports network Main Street Sports (FanDuel) and throw in with MLB TV, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez: the Cardinals and the Rays, plus the Reds, the Marlins, the Brewers, and the Rays.
Three remaining Main Street teams—the Braves, the Tigers, and the Angels—have yet to announce their plans, Gonzalez said, though he cited another report suggesting the Tigers and the Angels would move to MLB TV while the Braves aren’t ready to announce their move.
All nine teams terminated their Main Street contracts with the company “in the midst of more financial turmoil” following its emergency from bankruptcy, Gonzalez said.
“Those teams promised to continue negotiating with the company but, with spring training approaching, gave it until the end of [January] to resolve its situation,” Gonzalez continued. “The departures seem to indicate that the RSN provider might be headed toward a liquidation, though previous reports stated that it would continue to broadcast NBA and NHL games through the end of those leagues' seasons.”
Leading Off
Appreciating David Robertson
An underrated relief great retires
By Allen Settle
Seventeen-year major league veteran David Robertson has officially announced the end of a remarkable career. While the longtime reliever sits a tier below the all-time greats at his position, his longevity, consistency, and impact should not be underestimated.
At first glance, Robertson’s résumé can appear to be built more on durability than dominance. He was a one-time All-Star (2011) and—outside of a World Series ring with the 2009 Yankees and a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics—lacks the headline accolades often associated with elite relievers.
Unfortunately, that surface-level view sells his career well short.
While the journeyman reliever may not have possessed an overwhelming ceiling, his floor was extraordinarily high for nearly two decades. When called upon to serve as a primary closer, Robertson delivered, recording three consecutive seasons of 30+ saves, including a career-high 39 in 2014. He finished his major league career with 179 saves, the 70th-most in league history.
Just as impressive was his work in setup and other high-leverage roles. Robertson accumulated 206 career holds, the sixth-most in baseball history. That total gives the former Yankees standout a distinction unmatched in league history: he is the only pitcher with both 175+ saves and 175+ holds, encapsulating his versatility and sustained excellence perfectly.
Robertson also struck out 1,175 batters while pitching almost exclusively as a reliever (with just one career start, serving as an opener in 2021). That total is the ninth-most all-time among relievers, placing him ahead of legends such as Mariano Rivera (1,135), Trevor Hoffman (1,133), John Franco (975), Tug McGraw (974), and many others. He is one of just fourteen relievers in MLB history to surpass 1,000 career strikeouts.
Despite limited All-Star recognition, Robertson posted a stellar 2.93 ERA and accumulated 21.9 wins above replacement-level player (WAR) across 894.1 innings. His career 143 ERA+ indicates that he was approximately 43% better than the league average pitcher at his position—an elite mark of sustained effectiveness.
Robertson will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2031, though it is unlikely he will gain serious traction for induction. Still, while he may not ultimately be a Hall of Famer, baseball fans would be wise not to underappreciate his special and historic career.
Last season, the bullpen ace was quoted as saying: ”I want to keep going until I can’t throw a baseball anymore. ... If I’ve got the opportunity to step in between the lines and give everything I’ve got again, I’m going to fulfill that itch.”
As a result of that mindset, Robertson achieved a career that few bullpen arms in MLB history have matched. His combination of durability, consistency, and game-altering reliability is well deserving of recognition.
Salute to David Robertson! And best wishes for a fruitful retirement and post-MLB chapter.
Allen Settle is an MLB writer who has never given up on his passion for the beautiful game of baseball. He is an IBWAA member who has worked as a contributor for the FanSided network, covering both the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins. Currently, Allen covers baseball prospects at Prospects1500.com. You can connect with him on X at @AllenSettleMLB.
Extra Innings: What They Said . . .
I’ve decided it’s time for me to hang up my spikes and retire from the game I’ve loved for as long as I can remember. Baseball has given me more than I ever dreamed possible over the last 19 seasons. From winning a World Series, to pitching in an All-Star game, to representing the United States and bringing home a World Baseball Classic Gold and an Olympic silver. I’ve had the privilege of playing alongside amazing teammates, learning from outstanding coaches, and being welcomed into organizations that felt like family. To the trainers, clubhouse staff, front offices, and everyone behind the scenes, thank you for all that you do. And to the fans who supported me, thank you, your passion fueled me every single day.
Most importantly, thank you to my wife and children. Your love, sacrifice, patience, and dedication made this career possible. As I step away from the game, I’m excited to be home with my family, to focus on our farms, and to continue growing High Socks for Hope. Helping families rebuild after disaster has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life outside baseball.
—David Robertson, announcing his retirement on Instagram, 30 January 2026.
Even in all the years he set up for [Mariano Rivera], David was a closer in the moment that you needed him. There was no moment that was ever too big for him. I always had the utmost confidence in him.
—Joe Girardi, Robertson’s first Yankee manager.
Robertson spent the majority of his career in the Bronx. He’ll be best remembered as a Yankee but appeared for eight clubs overall. Although he’s not going to get much consideration for induction into Cooperstown, he’s a lock to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot five years from now and could see his name checked by a few voters who want to honor his longevity and reliability. [We congratulate] him on an excellent career and sends our best wishes in whatever comes next.
—Anthony Franco, MLB Trade Rumors, after Robertson announced his retirement.
Know Your Editors
Here’s the Pitch is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], does the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.