Just like that, the Phillies bullpen is one of the most dominant in baseball with reinforcements still on the way

It’s truly amazing what a bonafide closer can do for a baseball team. Not that I need to tell you, but the Phillies added Jhoan Duran at the deadline and also signed veteran David Robertson, which has proven to completely change the makeup of their bullpen.

Robertson joined the Phillies in Arlington on Sunday. The Phillies already had Jhoan Duran sitting at 1.89 ERA and blowing 102 past hitters. Matt Strahm’s been dealing with a 2.13 ERA since July. Orion Kerkering is at 1.72 since May. Tanner Banks has quietly carved his way to a 1.86 ERA in his last 20 outings. Jose Alvarado will also rejoin the team next week for the remainder of the regular season.

Edmundo Sosa goes deep, Phillies sweep Rangers with 4-2 win on Sunday

While we haven’t seen Robertson 3.0 yet, the Phillies already know they are adding a 40-year-old postseason assassin with a 3.04 career playoff ERA and a ring.

David Robertson hasn’t been on a roster since last year, spending his spring working the farm, playing golf, and apparently getting humbled on the tennis court.

Now he’s back in Philly for a third go-round. His first stint in 2019 was derailed by elbow surgery. His second in 2022 helped bring the Phillies to the brink of a championship, with 4 shutout innings in the World Series. If the third time really is the charm, Robertson could be the final piece to make sure October in Philly is a bullpen bloodbath.

David Robertson joins a Phillies’ bullpen that has:

• Jhoan Duran: 1.89 ERA this season
• Matt Strahm: 2.13 ERA since July
• Orion Kerkering: 1.72 ERA since May
• Tanner Banks: 1.86 ERA in last 20 apps

David Robertson was elite in 2022. People forget that.

People forget that David Robertson pitched 7.2 innings, while posting a 1.17 ERA with 11 Ks in the Phillies 2022 Postseason Run.

World Series: 4 IP, 5 Ks, 0 ER, 1 SV pic.twitter.com/mtMZeEt4a4

— Phillies Central (@philscentral_) August 10, 2025

That’s not even considering the flexibility that the Phillies will get with a playoff rotation. Jesus Luzardo, Ranger Suarez, and Taijuan Walker can also be reinforcements for this crew in October.

We’ll see how Aaron Nola does when he returns to the rotation next week and ultimately, who’s at their best come the end of the September. Regardless, reinforcements are still incoming.

The Phillies’ bullpen went from “good enough” to “pick your poison” in about a month.

Robertson doesn’t even have to be peak David Robertson for this to work. He just has to be another arm that makes opponents look up at the scoreboard in the 7th inning and realize that the game is probably over.

The Fightins roll into Cincinnati tonight with Cyjuan Walker facing Andrew Abbott, looking to keep the road trip rolling.

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