Angels Abruptly Lose Pitcher To Blue Jays Following DFA

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 18, 2024

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays picked up right-handed pitcher Nick Robertson after he was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend. Tuesday, the Jays assigned Robertson to Triple-A Buffalo

The Angels designated Robertson for assignment on Sunday to make room for outfielder Gustavo Campero, who was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Jays also say they claimed righty Nick Robertson from the Angels and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo.

— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) September 17, 2024

Two days later, the Blue Jays decided to take a chance on the 26-year-old right-hander.

Even after spending a month in their system, Robertson didn’t get into a game for the Angels. However, he did make 10 relief appearances in the minors.

Robertson's final two appearances with Triple-A Salt Lake, last Thursday and Saturday, were both scoreless outings. That left him with a 6.92 earned run average and a 2.000 WHIP over 13 innings — largely the result of a disastrous outing (two-thirds of an inning, four runs allowed) Sept. 8 against Sacramento.

The Angels claimed Robertson off waivers from the Cardinals on Aug. 13, just three days after St. Louis designated him for assignment. At that point, Robertson had a 4.38 ERA and 1.378 WHIP before the Cardinals sent him down in May, where he posted a 7.48 ERA and 1.800 WHIP in Triple-A Memphis.

Now heading to Toronto, Robertson is joining his fifth team in just 14 months.

Today, the Blue Jays claimed RHP Nick Robertson off waivers.

— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) September 17, 2024

Robertson was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh round back in 2019 and made his Major League Baseball debut in 2023. That July, he and reliever Justin Hagenman were traded to the Red Sox for Kiké Hernandez. Then in December, he and righty Victor Santos were dealt to the Cardinals for Tyler O'Neill.

So far in the majors, Robertson is 0-1 with a 5.45 ERA, 1.615 WHIP, 10.4 strikeouts per nine, and a -0.4 WAR. He’s 8-10 in the minors with a 4.19 ERA, 1.299 WHIP, 11 strikeouts per nine, and 24 saves.

The story of Robertson’s last couple of seasons is that while his ERA has been on the higher side, his FIP — which focuses on strikeouts, walks, and home runs — has been solid. His fastball sits in the mid-90s, and his changeup racks up a lot of swings and misses.

The Blue Jays officially announced the addition of Robertson on Tuesday and optioned him to Triple-A as part of a flurry of roster moves.

Robertson has barely any big-league service time, so he’s still two seasons away from hitting arbitration. Plus, he’s got an extra option year in 2025, meaning if the Jays can tap into his potential, he could stick around in Toronto for a while.