Meet The New Guy: Nick Robertson

Who is he and where did he come from?

He’s Nick Robertson, and the Red Sox just received him from the Dodgers in exchange for Kiké Hernandez.

What position does he play?

He’s a pitcher with about ten career Major League innings, all out of the bullpen where he’ll likely remain for the foreseeable future.

Is he any good?

He’s a reliever, so that’s hard to say for sure. In his ten Major League innings, he has a 6.10 ERA, which by all accounts isn’t very good. In his 28 AAA innings this year, he has a 2.54 ERA and a 50% ground ball rate, which is very good. Again, relievers are very fickle beasts.

He’s a 25-year-old on the cusp of the Majors, you’re acquiring him on potential. He’s 6’6”, and throws a 95-ish MPH fastball, so there’s a start. He’s got a good changeup with above-average horizontal movement that seems to generate a lot of whiffs. He also has a slider that he rarely throws, but it’s got some bite to it and could be developed over time.

It’s hard to draw any solid conclusions from ten innings, but what I saw in my brief, surface-level scouting excursion was exactly who I said he was above: a 25-year-old reliever on the cusp of the major leagues. The changeup has good movement and the fastball is hard, but there was some inconsistency in command. He aggressively attacks the strike zone and misses spots over the plate as a result. He probably won’t ever be an elite closer, but he could be a solid late-inning guy. It’s a work in progress, but if you were expecting a superstar as a return for Kike Hernandez, you’re either a big Kike Hernandez defender or spent way too much time reading The Art of the Deal.

Show me a cool highlight.

The first batter he faced in the majors was Elly De La Cruz. Elly is decidedly cool, so striking out Elly De La Cruz on three pitches must also be cool. Unless it’s uncool to strike out Elly because he’s so cool. I don’t know; I’m not cool enough to be the arbiter of cool.

What’s he doing in his picture up there?

Showcasing his elite extension. BaseballSavant has him in the 96th percentile in the category, thanks to his 6’6” frame. Extension has been somewhat of a hallmark of Chaim Bloom pitching acquisitions, and Robertson fits the bill.

What’s his role on the 2023 Red Sox?

At this point, he’s a depth bullpen piece. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as the team continues to churn the bottom of the pitching staff, looking to add some quality innings to the bullpen. It might be hard for him to find his way onto the major league roster given the number of arms who might be returning from the IL in the near future, but there’s a chance he’s given a shot as the last option out of the pen at some point this season.