3 former champions the KC Royals should pursue to strengthen the clubhouse

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David Robertson, RHP

Baseball fans can scroll down the JAWS leaderboard a bit farther down from Jansen and find a fellow right-handed Old Man River in David Robertson. The reliever's lengthy career has been criminally underrated, as he won his lone World Series all the way back in 2009 with the New York Yankees. Robertson had a rocky mid-30s in the MLB, but his past few seasons have been a testament to his perserverance and trusting the process.

In the past four seasons, Robertson has played for six different teams, consistently sought after by postseason contenders. He’s appeared in the playoffs with the Tampa Bay Rays (2021), Philadelphia Phillies (2022), and Miami Marlins (2023), bringing his career total to 42 postseason games. His playoff experience dwarfs that of most Royals players, and his impressive 3.04 ERA and 10.84 K/9 in high-stakes October action would be a welcome boost to Kansas City’s bullpen.

Much like Jansen, Robertson's bread and butter is his cutter. He threw that pitch 63.4% of the time in 2024, and it’s a pitch he’s relied on throughout his career — and for good reason. Baseball Savant ranked his cutter as the third-most valuable in the league last season, trailing only Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase and $200 million ace Corbin Burnes. Robertson has mastered the pitch, using it to generate swings and misses at an elite level.

Strikeouts have been Robertson’s hallmark throughout his career. He has posted a strikeout rate below 26% only once, and his 33.4% mark in 2024 placed him in the 96th percentile among MLB pitchers. This is precisely the kind of firepower Kansas City’s bullpen lacked early last season when their 19% strikeout rate ranked 29th in the league. While the midseason additions of Lucas Erceg and others improved the Royals’ bullpen performance, the unit still ended the season ranked 28th in strikeout rate at 20.8%. Robertson’s ability to generate whiffs could address this glaring weakness.

With Texas' flurry of bullpen moves this offseason, Robertson coming back on a one-year deal feels somewhat unlikely. After all, he only spent the 2023 season there; it isn't like he is a franchise stalwart or anything. A reunion with the Yankees, the team that launched his career, also feels improbable as New York focuses on cutting payroll for infield reinforcements. This creates an opportunity for the Royals to swoop in. Signing Robertson to a one-year deal — or perhaps a one-year deal with a mutual option — would provide Kansas City with a proven veteran and a high-leverage arm to pair with Erceg.

From his age-defying dominance to his elite cutter and ability to thrive under pressure, Robertson remains a relief unicorn. There’s no reason to believe his effectiveness will diminish significantly in 2025. Adding Robertson to the bullpen would not only elevate the Royals’ late-game options but also inject valuable experience and leadership into a young roster. The thought of a Robertson-Erceg combo anchoring the bullpen should have Royals fans excited for what’s to come.

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