JUST NOW ;Learning about the newest pitcher in the Blue Jays system, Nick Robertson
It’s that time of year and that kind of season when the Toronto Blue Jays take fliers on relievers who are on the waiver wire.
Robertson was selected in the seventh round in the 2019 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and after good results in the Dodgers farm system, they shipped him out to Boston in exchange for Enrique Hernández at the 2023 trade deadline. The 2023 season was also when he made his big league debut, posting a 6.04 ERA and a 3.88 FIP in 22.1 innings pitched between the Dodgers and the Red Sox.
Here’s what Baseball America had to say about him…
An imposing righthanded reliever, Robertson mixes a fastball, slider and changeup. Robertson’s four-seam fastball sits 95-96 mph and touches 97, and misses bats when located at the top of the zone. His best secondary is an upper-80s changeup with heavy tumble and fade. He shows remarkable feel for the pitch despite its dynamic movement and generates whiffs in and out of the zone with it. Robertson’s breaking ball is a mid-80s sweeper slider that generates few whiffs but lots of bad contact. Robertson shows strong command for his entire arsenal and is a candidate for the opening day bullpen.
The Cardinals acquired Robertson in an off-season trade, sending Canadian outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Red Sox in exchange for the right-handed reliever. In hindsight, this is a shocking trade for the Cardinals as O’Neill is slashing .254/.347/.541 with 31 home runs in 444 plate appearances for a 140 wRC+.
The #RedSox today acquired OF Tyler O’Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals, in exchange for RHP Nick Robertson and minor league RHP Victor Santos.
He pitched in the big leagues for the Cardinals, where he had a 4.38 ERA and a 4.55 FIP in 12.1 innings pitched, along with a 26.9 K% and a 3.8 BB%. Despite solid results, he was designated for assignment and claimed by the Los Angeles Angels. With their Triple-A team, Robertson had a 6.92 ERA and a 4.30 FIP in 13 innings pitched before they also designated him for assignment.
The story of Robertson’s career over the past two seasons is that while his ERA is high, his FIP (that just looks at strikeouts, walks, and home runs) has always been respectable. His heater sits in the mid-90s, while his changeup generates a ton of whiffs. There’s certainly a solid reliever here, as you can see in this thread from Remi
Robertson has very little service time in the big leagues, meaning that he still has two more seasons before his three seasons of arbitration. Moreover, he has an additional option year in 2025, so if the Jays can get the best out of him, he could be a Blue Jay for a long time.
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News
The Toronto Blue Jays front office was pulling out all the stops today, as the club announced a flurry of roster moves before their evening game against the Texas Rangers.
The most notable addition was the return of shortstop Bo Bichette, who rejoins the club after a calf strain sent him to the sidelines for a second time this season. Also joining the Blue Jays is outfielder Steward Berrora, as Daulton Varsho heads to the IL with a shoulder strain (retroactive to September 14th).
Ross Atkins and co continued to add relievers via the waiver wire, picking up right-hander Nick Robertson from the Los Angeles Angels and then optioning him to triple-A Buffalo. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Jays placed Will Wagner on the 60-day IL with left knee inflammation.
Bichette returns to the Blue Jays after a lengthy absence, as the two-time All-Star hasn’t suited up since July 19th. The shortstop is returning to his career-worst campaign by the numbers, sporting a .222/.275/.320 slash line with four home runs and 30 RBIs across 306 at-bats. His .595 OPS is in line to be a career low and he currently sits at a 69 OPS+ with just a handful of games left in the season. For tonight’s game, he slots in the two-hole right behind George Springer.
While the Jays don’t have too much to play for, having Bichette back in the lineup boosts the club and the player as Bichette looks to turn things around before October rolls around.
Heading to the IL is Varsho and Wagner, with both players likely done for the season. The former Diamondback is slated for surgery on his rotator cuff as per Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae and Wagner landed on the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot for the new pitcher, meaning his season is over.
Varsho finishes the campaign with another stellar defensive year in the books, one that propelled him to a 4.9 bWAR while sporting a .214 average and a .700 OPS. He fell just short of the 20 home run mark (18) and compiled a 97 OPS+, a 13-point improvement over his debut season with the Jays. His work should land him the Gold Glove conversation.
Wagner, who was acquired at the trade deadline as part of the Yusei Kikuchi deal, was a stellar surprise since his mid-August call-up. The lefty batter posted a .305/.337/.451 slash line with six doubles and two home runs en route to a .788 OPS. A solid cup of coffee for the former Astro who will rejoin Toronto next spring in a bid for a roster spot.
Rejoining the Blue Jays is Steward Berrora, who has been riding the options train a few times this season. Likely working off the bench down the stretch, Berrora will look to improve upon his .152 average and .499 OPS.
Last but not least, the Jays added another reliever into the mix in the form of Nick Robertson, who was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels back on September 15th.
Daulton Varsho (IL- right shoulder) saw Dr. Keith Meister here in Texas yesterday. Varsho told me he’s going to have surgery as soon as he can in order to be ready for spring training 2025.
“There’s a rotator cuff issue at the front of my shoulder that’s been bugging me.”
A former Dodgers draft pick in 2019, Robertson has bounced around a few teams over the years and made his debut last season for Los Angeles before being moved to the Boston Red Sox midseason. He was part of the Tyler O’Neill trade that saw him head to the St. Louis Cardinals this past winter and landed with the Angels in their minor league camp after being DFA’d by the Cardinals in mid-August.
Through 26 big league outings (one start), Robertson owns a 5.45 ERA and a 1.615 WHIP through 34 2/3 innings of work. He becomes the second Nick Robertson to join a Toronto-based sports team this summer.
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