Miami Marlins heavily improve the bullpen

The Miami Marlins made a trade with the Minnesota Twins to improve the bullpen on Wednesday. Yesterday The Fish were linked to a top SS trade target. Now, Kim Ng potentially added a new closer! In a stunning trade with the division rival New York Mets, Kim acquired relief pitcher David Robertson for rookie ball prospects Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez. Bruce Sherman stayed true to his word, as he takes on Robertson's entire salary for the rest of the season.

The Miami Marlins acquired potential new closer David Robertson from the New York Mets!

The Miami Marlins needed bullpen help, and GM Kim Ng came through big time to fill that need. The Fish are not going to miss Vargas or Hernandez. Vargas is currently hitting .283/.457/.442, with 2 home runs and 19 RBI in 33 games and 162 AB in Rookie ball. Hernandez is hitting .298/.464/.452 with 3 home runs and 25 RBI at the same level. Vargas is 18 and Hernandez is 19, and we have no idea if either will ever even make it to AAA let alone to the Major Leagues. Neither one was a top prospect on the team.

David Robertson is a veteran with a record of success as a closer. He pitched most of his career with the New York Yankees. From 2008 to 2014, he produced an impressive 2.81 ERA/2.74 FIP, with 12.0 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 402 games and 393.1 innings pitched. He also accumulated 47 saves as he spent time as the team's closer. Moving on to the Chicago White Sox for 2015-2017 as a free agent, he pitched to a 3.44 ERA/3.04 FIP, with 11.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 122 games and 125.2 innings pitched from 2015-2016. He also accumulated 71 saves, spending the entire time as the Pale Hose's closer.

Robertson was traded back to New York in the middle of the 2017 season, ending it with a 1.84 ERA/2.57 FIP, with 12.9 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 61 games and 68.1 innings pitched. He also accumulated 14 saves between the two teams. He stayed with New York for the 2018 season, and pitched to a 3.23 ERA/2.97 FIP with 11.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB?9 in 69 games and 69.2 innings pitched. He was no longer the team's closer however.

He pitched in 2019 for the Philadelphia Phillies, and had a disappointing 5.40 ERA/6.06 FIP, with 8.1 K/9 and 8.1 BB/9 in 7 games and 6.2 innings pitched. Tommy John Surgery kept him out until the 2021 season. From 2021-2022 he pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Phillies again, delivering a 2.74 ERA/3.60 FIP, with 11.5 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 in 70 games and 75.2 innings pitched. He also accumulated 20 saves.

So far this season, he has a 2.05 ERA/3.60 FIP, with 11.5 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9 in 40 games and 44.0 innings pitched. He has 14 saves. David Robertson is likely to be the next Miami Marlins closer, and while the FIP and the walks bother me, he should still improve the bullpen.