The Miami Marlins may be having buyer’s remorse.
And the Mets are the benefactors.
Former Mets closer David Robertson has struggled since joining the Marlins – albeit in a small sample size – several days before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Robertson, 38, has posted a 12.00 ERA, has allowed homers in consecutive games and blown one of two save opportunities in his first three games with his new team.
The reliever allowed five runs to the Philadelphia Phillies over the last two nights and wasted a brilliant gem from Sandy Alcantara on Tuesday night in a 3-1 loss.
“It’s not the first one I’ve blown and won’t be the last one,” Robertson said Tuesday after blowing a save and suffering the loss. “It just sucks because Sandy threw the ball so well and I couldn’t come in and hold it for him.”
Robertson shined as the Mets’ closer this season, making him a coveted trade piece entering the deadline.
The veteran went 4-2 with 2.05 ERA and 14 saves spanning 40 games and filled the ninth-inning void caused by Edwin Diaz’s injury suffered during the World Baseball Classic.
The Marlins, currently tied for the third wild card spot, engaged their divisional rivals due to their need for proven, late-inning relievers.
Some questioned the Mets for trading Robertson July 27 – the trade became official the next day – for two prospects who aren’t close to the majors, but Mets general manager Billy Eppler and his scouts pounced on a package featuring Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez.
Vargas is now the Mets’ No. 9 prospect, according to MLB.com.
Trading Robertson was the first step in the team’s full fire sale. The Mets had yet to relay their intention to tear down their roster at the time but trading Robertson marked an easy call since a good closer is wasted on a non-contending team.
“With Vargas, a left-handed bat, middle of the diamond, shortstop profile right now,”Eppler said. “Elite contact. Elite decision-making. He has above average exit velocity for the level. He’s young, that’s another good quality, and he’s really performing well at the level.”
Robertson posted a clean first inning and recorded a save in his Marlins debut against the Tigers but the Phillies have tattooed him the last two nights.
The closer entered Tuesday’s game with a one-run lead following a scoreless outing from Alcantara and allowed three runs on two hits, including a two-run homer by Nick Castellanos.
Robertson entered a tied game Wednesday in the 10th inning and allowed two runs (one earned due to the ghost runner) on a homer by Brandon Marsh, but the Marlins took him off the hook by rallying to even the score in the 10th inning before eventually walking off the Phillies in their 9-8 victory.
Opponents own an .833 slugging percentage and 1.141 OPS against Robertson in his brief time in Miami.