Is David Robertson Worth The Same Salary As Jonathan Papelbon?

One of the positives that the Yankees can look back on this past season is how well of a job David Robertson did in the closer role. The team didn’t know what to expect when being asked to take the place of Mariano Rivera, but he definitely exceeded everyone’s expectations in his first year at his new job. The Yankees know that they need to keep Robertson around, but it seems like he will be giving them a run for their money this off-season. 

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A recent report came out stating that David Robertson declined the Yankees’ qualifying offer of $15.3 million. While that is good money for a closer, it looks like Robertson is looking for more. It has been mentioned that he is trying to compete with Phillies’ closer Jonathan Papelbon, who signed a four-year, $50 million contract during the 2011-2012 off-season.

While Robertson is worth that money, it will definitely be a lot harder to agree with that type of contract, especially in the National League due to Papelbon. As for the American League, he is still competing with a lot of pitchers on the market that are looking for a similar contract, like Orioles’ pitcher Andrew Miller.

Robertson may have put up better numbers than Papelbon in the last four seasons, but what it will really come down to is the baseball market, and who will put out the best offer. The Yankees know that in their quest to get Robertson back, that they have their work cut out for them.