It seems the Chicago White Sox are expecting to move several players before the deadline this Monday. One of the names being rumored to be on the move is closer David Roberston. The White Sox are trying to rebuild as they have failed to gain on picking up all the players they did over the last several years.
Several baseball insiders have him being linked to several teams. ESPN’s Buster Olney has heard rumblings of him possibly heading to Boston. Other baseball insiders have heard rumors of the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers as other possible landing spots. According to Buster Olney, the biggest reason for the White Sox wanting to move David Roberston is to shed his nearly $30 MM remaining on his contract that goes through the end of the 2018 season.
The Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals seem to be the two teams with the most interest in Roberston. Washington has been linked to him because they want to upgrade from current closer Jonathan Papelbon and the Nationals have been linked to several other relief pitchers. The Boston Red Sox recently added Brad Ziegler to the bullpen and Craig Kimbrel is expected to return. However, there is uncertainty regarding setup man Koji Uehara who is currently dealing with a pectoral injury. So the Red Sox may be looking to add an arm to the bullpen.
Whatever team does land David Roberston, they won’t have to give up many prospects. The only downside with Roberston in the 2016 season is that he has a 4.35 ERA, which is the highest since his rookie season. He is still striking out 10.9 batters per nine innings and ranks third in the American League with 24 saves.