The Phillies have made a notable addition to their bullpen, reportedly acquiring David Robertson from the Cubs. Pitching prospect Ben Brown is going back to Chicago in return.
Robertson was arguably the top bullpen arm available this summer. The veteran righty signed a one-year, $3.5MM deal with Chicago during Spring Training. He quickly emerged as the club’s primary closer, saving 14 games during his 36 appearances. Robertson tossed 40 1/3 innings of 2.23 ERA ball, striking out over 30% of opposing hitters while inducing ground-balls at an above-average 48.3% clip. The 37-year-old has issued a few more walks than one would like (11.5%), but Robertson’s cutter-curveball combination is easily handling opposing hitters. He’s generating swinging strikes on a strong 13.7% of his offerings that’s not too far off the rates of his best days with the Yankees and White Sox.
A former All-Star, Robertson was a durable and atypically consistent reliever for the bulk of his time in New York and on the South Side of Chicago. That led to a two-year contract with the Phils over the 2019-20 offseason, but Robertson’s first stint in Philadelphia didn’t go as hoped, though not through any fault of his own. Robertson blew out his elbow just seven games into that deal. He missed the rest of 2019 and ’20 recovering, then returned midway through the 2021 campaign with the Rays. Since getting back to health, Robertson has a 2.75 ERA through 52 1/3 frames. The Phils will take another shot on him to bolster the mid-late innings mix.
Robertson will be a free agent at the end of the year. In addition to his base salary, he’s on pace to reach all of his incentives (including a $100K trade bonus), which would bring his total salary up to $5.1MM. Still, for a pitcher with his track record, that’s a reasonable price to pay. The Phils bullpen has been solid of late, but the club has had longstanding issues finding consistent results in the back end.
In exchange for their low-cost dice roll on Robertson, the Cubs recouped a half-season of excellent work and eventually turned him into a longer-term addition to the organization. Brown, 22, was a 33rd-round pick back in 2017. The 6’6″ hurler has had a breakout 2022 season, pitching to a 3.08 ERA through 73 innings at High-A. He’s fanned 35.4% of opponents against a 7.7% walk rate. Baseball America recently ranked him the #7 prospect in the Philadelphia system, praising his plus fastball-slider combination but suggesting sporadic control could eventually push him to a bullpen role. Brown will have to be added to the Cubs 40-man roster this winter to avoid being selected in the Rule 5 draft.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the Phillies were acquiring Robertson. Robert Murray of FanSided reported Brown’s inclusion in the deal.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Who’s getting Contreras??
Bluejays shoulda been in on Robertson assuming he’s vaxxed.
I don’t think you’re supposed to say the V word.
All Cubs were vaxxed.
@coolhandneil
But do they take their bi-yearly boosters too?
Yeah I was really hoping we’d get him. Always been a fan of him, super underrated reliever.
I don’t think the Mets are going to budge on a prospect.
Hope it goes better than last time
I mean.. it almost HAS to, right?
I know, but just yesterday there was an article talking about how high the Phillies were on Brown. He struck out 105 over 73 innings this year and has a decent 3.08 ERA. Seems like a lot for Robertson.
Top deadline relievers cost a lot. But yeah tuff to move Brown.
HE’S BACK
LET’S GOOOOO
Good addition to the bullpen. Good job by Dombrowski.
Why??? Phillies are terrible.
Nice
OH? A reunion from Phillies legend David Robertson?
Robertson owes PHI so much money — they wanted to cash in the IOU he handed them.
Damn, I was hoping the Giants would pick him up.
Now this is better!! But who did we give up??
Decent class High A starting pitcher prospect.
Bring back Brodie….jk
Three trades in the last six minutes.
A little over two hours to go. Hold on to your butts!
I didn’t get any work today, Jack. And I got stuff due tomorrow.
running it back
He still owes us a refund from the last time he was a Phillie.
They got 3 appearances and paid him $24MM
Only $8 million per appearance
#DFAmilia. Good move to strengthen the bullpen which has finally been decent this year.
Holy balls, tell me it was sort of a three team trade and that the Phillies got Brandon Marsh to trade to the Cubs for Robertson. I would LOVE that.
This is a good trade
For the Phillies, yes. They only gave up their #26 ranked prospect. Cubs got fleeced.
Try #7 prospect
Ben Brown has been quickly rising through their system and many viewed him as way higher than 26th prospect in their system. Cubs got a good player here.
Yeah I like the Cubs return actually…. Brown has been mowing them down this season in high A.
Not really. Robertson is a rental. He didn’t have very much trade value.
I guess it depends on your definition of value, but he was the best rental reliever on the market, so yes he had value.
Also Ben Brown has been lights out since his return from TJ. He’s already at A+ and with his numbers and stuff, he will likely be at AA sooner than later. The people saying he is currently a 26th rated prospect for the Phillies aren’t looking at the bigger picture.
This should be viewed in the same light as when the cubs got Caleb Kilian last year as one of the pieces for KB. At the time, lay people thought Kilian was a poor prospect. After the season when prospect lists were released, he was fringe top 100 and has even appeared on some lists this season. It often takes the eval industry time to catch up on the value of prospects in comparison to MLB clubs.
I agree. I don’t think the Cubs were fleeced here. For Cubs that are disappointed, this wasn’t going to be like last year when the Sox overpaid for Kimbrel’s 0.49 ERA.
List is probably made in Jan. Red Sox 26th ranked prospect Ceddanne was just add to Baseball America’s top 100 players in all of baseball.
Ben Brown: High A—Starter, 12.9 Ks per 9, 1.041 WHIP — He’s no 26th ranked prospect. The list you’re going by is out of date.
I know. This is trash Cubs should have got at least a top 10 Phillies prospect for Robertson
Some lists have Brown in the Phillies top 10. Apparently this was a breakout year for him. 105 strikeouts in 70 something innings in A+. I’m happy with this return for a guy we signed specifically for this purpose.
Inside the Phillies page had Brown as #8 as of 7/21.
Cubs maybe holding onto Contreras to long, Robertson gone. C’mon Cubs don’t get left holding make the best deal you can.
If it means the cubs have to settle for a low-ball offer for Contreras, then its better to hold onto him, submit a qualifying offer, and get the comp pick if he walks and an extension can’t be reached. If the cubs accept a low ball offer, that just tells other GMs that all they have to do in future deals is wait out Hoyer and Hawkins and they’re likely to get an offer more suited to their liking. This is what Theo Epstein struggled with when he was running the cubs, and he constantly got taken for rides in trades.
Thought for sure the Cubs would make him and Contreras a package deal. They must be completely unrealistic about their asking price for a C rental
You don’t get the #7 prospect in a farm system for a “C rental”.
What a garbage can return for Roberston in my opinion.
Agreed. Ben Brown is the Phillies 26th ranked prospect per MLB.com which is basically worthless.
Cubs bout to get like the 15th best Mets prospect for Contreras lol
Remember PCA LOL.
Brown is having a good year. He’ll probably be reevaluated upward now that he’s been traded.
The article says he is their #7 prospect. Is reading that hard for people on here?
They probably commented while article said more to come. Baseball America is more up-to-date than MLB Pipeline.
Mlb.com is wrong
And MLB has now slotted Brown as #11 for Cubs.
DD blowing up the farm
Damn, I was hoping the Yanks would get him again, again.
Is Robertson the new Phillies closer then?
Thomson has been giving Dominguez/Hand the “high leverage” roles. Depending on who comes to the plate in the 8th, then he chooses the better option…
Dombrowski gutting another farm system. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Yeah you probably had this on your cut and paste all day…waiting…..feel free to use it on the Brandon Marsh thread as well….
That narrative is so weak. DD is a HOF GM…..
Agreed… I have no problem with the moves today..
Well,that’s underwhelming
Underwhelming
WTFFFFF?
Cubs got fleeced, damn braves where were you get Michael Taylor now hurry up 2 hours left nice pickup Philadelphia I wish the braves got him
Weak return for a closer with playoff experience who has been lights out all year. Brown isn’t top 20 in a bad farm system. Look like Jed outsmarted himself.
Ummmm Ben Brown is Philly’s #7 prospect… I’ll suggest doing a little research about the guy before trashing the move… sounds like things have really started to click for the guy – 12.9 k’s per 9 for example
not a single word about Will Wilson Contreras from trade rumors in the last 6 hours maybe he’s not getting traded
I know lots of people think the Cubs got fleeced, but I don’t think so. Ben Brown is actually doing very good in High-A. 3.08 ERA in 73 innings with a 3-5 record. Seems fair for both teams.
I think it’s a fair trade, too.
I guess the Phils just want to understand what it feels like to get F’d twice……….
Bloom should’ve got him for Boston. They needed RP since last year.
Nice get for a rental reliever that the Cubs took a flier on. #7 rated prospect. His floor is a high leverage RP, ceiling is a legit SP if the Cubs can unlock his secondary pitches. Philly as recent as yesterday were claiming this guy was “untouchable” for a rental and that’s exactly what they traded him for.
No one is untouchable. You do understand that teams put that out in the media on purpose, right? Who knows if a single A guy is going to work out
#7 rated prospect? You mean #26?
Those rankings are BS. They mean nothing.
Did you – or others quoting the ranking # of a minor league prospect on his team – ever do a study to find how how they actually played out over the ensuing 2-4 years? I’ll tell you this – the result has far more to do with how those players are worked with by the coaching staffs of the teams the play for.
Brown just got moved to AA..
He deserves the promotion.
Wtf Hopefully the cubs got more then just this guy
Brown is ranked higher now. Seen he is their #7 guy.
So the angels can get the Phillies 3rd ranked prospect for a struggling Brandon marsh but the cubs get their 26th ranked prospect for one of the best bullpen arms on the market? I see Ben brown has pitched decent in high A posting a 3.08 with a good K/9 but I don’t understand the trade to be honest. He was a 30 something round pick and is doing alright in high A. Nothing to really be excited about at all. The trades the cubs have made so far have just been pitcher heavy and seems they are looking at k/9 the most and hoping these pitchers can develop into something. All have been rolling the dice moves so far.
Cubs were not keeping robertson he is 29 years old no future with the cubs and cost them nothing off season flyer who panned out they still couple years away get a young sp with upside is a nice get
Sorry 37 year old commenting on to many post at the same time lol
The answer to your question is yes.
Good add
Hope he can get to Atlanta tonight for the bullpen game… but if not, should be there for tomorrow. With Segura and Harper working their way back, playoffs are real possibility this year. It’s what we all want and expect…
Dombrowski is determined to get something out of Robertson
Great return for the cubs. Especially for a rental
I like this for the Phillies. Brown has some upside, but you have to give up something.
First McKinstry, now Brown. Why do the cubs go after 33rd round picks?
Is Hoyer a freemason?
Well at least we still have Effross..
Wait, what?
Cubs have 11 games left vs the Cards
Cubs have 6 games left vs the Brewers
Weaker Cubs get, easier in theory to take the NL Central.
I’m fine with this trade. Love the armchair GMs who think they know anything about this.
Who closes for the Cubs?
Rowan Wick