Phillies reached out to a rumored Cubs offseason target post-Jose Alvarado suspension

For one reason or another, David Robertson is still available on the free agent market. As the season rolls on and Chicago Cubs relievers keep either dropping like flies or showing they're unreliable, Robertson remains out there, looming over baseball like Galactus over New York in the latest Fantastic Four trailer. That Jed Hoyer hasn’t added this man to the roster is all the more frustrating when it becomes clear that the Cubs are far from the only team interested.

One club that just recently expressed in the veteran right-hander is a team that the Cubs will almost certainly be competing with either for a wild card spot or seeding in the 2025 MLB Postseason. Either way, the need to get Robertson signed just ramped up a bit with a very high-profile suspension.

Cubs' front office is playing with fire with David Robertson waiting game

A new report by Mark Feinsand claims that the Philadelphia Phillies have started kicking the tires on Robertson following José Alvarado’s 80-game suspension for violating the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The question now is how close they are to signing the free agent who is still inexplicably out there.

For now it appears they’re not that close: “No serious talks took place,” Feinsand claims a source told him. “But it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Phillies considered a reunion with the 40-year-old, who has had two previous stints in Philadelphia.”

It’s still confusing to me why no serious talks have taken place with a veteran reliever who, despite being 40, logged a 3.00 ERA in 68 appearances last season. 

There is no shortage of teams that are interested in Robertson and it’s far too early to trade for a reliever. It seems that his asking price is too rich for teams right now but if the Phillies start losing games because they don’t have a dependable reliever to close things out, that price will become more attractive.

Can the Chicago Cubs wait and hope no one grabs him? It appears we’re going to see since the front office appears set on the revolving door approach it has already leaned on too heavily.