David Robertson: Setup Man

post from Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog on 20 March 2010 08:51:00 PM. © Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

That baby-faced 24-year-old, Yankees manager Joe Girardi says, might pitch the eighth inning this year. Of course, this is the spring. Of course, this could be just the manager talking. And of course, the team still needs to hammer out it?s starting rotation and see where pitchers like Alfredo Aceves and Joba Chamberlain land.

But Girardi says he has enough confidence in Robertson ? four runs in 3 2/3 innings this spring ? to use him as a ?guy who can pitch for us anywhere now.?

Robertson gained respect last October, when he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings and earned a pair of extra-innings victories. When the team narrowed its roster for each series, Robertson was always on the cusp of sitting out. But as Chamberlain and Phil Hughes faltered, Girardi discovered he could turn to Robertson.

?I came to camp expecting him to be one of our guys,? Girardi said.

One thing I've noticed this spring is that it's not just Joe Girardi whose confidence in Robertson is growing. From announcers to writers to bloggers and fans, people's confidence in Robertson is on the rise across the board. Probably more so than anyone else on the roster. Mike Silva even asked if he should be the one people look at when thinking about the next Yankees closer, which is certainly a possibility down the road, especially if you believe that the Yankees plan to make both Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes starters (I do).
While it was happening I think a lot of people overlooked what Robertson did last year as he turned himself into a valuable reliever on a world champion team while racking up a sick 12.98 K/9. He was overshadowed by Hughes' emergence as a force in the pen, and probably never got the credit he deserved for what he did in 2009. At least not until getting out of that bases loaded nobody out jam in game 2 of the ALDS. Now, after an offseason to reflect, people are really starting to take notice.
On top of all the good he did last year, this year he's joined Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett, and is working on his changeup. With his fastball and curve it's not a pitch he needs, but it's certainly a pitch he could use.

His only issue last year, and the only thing holding him back from being a lights-out reliever, were the walks, the 4.74 BB/9 to be exact. It's something that's plagued him throughout his career in the minors and now in the big league. Command, though, comes with experience and it's something he can definitely cut down. And if he does then maybe setting up or even closing isn't such a far fetched idea. It probably won't happen this season, but down the road expect big things from D-Rob in the Yankees pen.