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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Philadelphia Phillies need to make changes in the bullpen before this season becomes a lost cause.
Entering Monday, the Phillies had already blown six saves, which was the worst in Major League Baseball. The bullpen collectively owned a 5.81 ERA, which was also the worst in the league.
Manager Rob Thompson told reporters he isn't concerned just yet because "it's a small sample size." Thompson is correct, but he must make changes sooner rather than later. One change could be signing free agent David Robertson.
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Robertson is 40 years old, but he proved last season he can handle a large volume of work. He produced a 3.00 ERA over 68 appearances last year with a 12.4 K/9, a number right on par with his career numbers. Robertson has also pitched in two different seasons with the Phillies, so he is very familiar with pitching at Citizens Bank Park.
For a team that is struggling to preserve wins like the Phillies, Robertson would be the perfect addition to the bullpen. Spotrac estimates he would sign for $7 million, and it could be considerably less with the season underway.
Robertson's age doesn't mean anything for a team as desperate as the Phillies. There's also very little, if any, risk in signing him. The worst-case scenario is he performs just like the others in the bullpen. If he performs the way he did last season, Robertson becomes one of the better relievers and quickly establishes a late-inning role.
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