White Sox: David Robertson to Nationals Remains in Limbo
By Matt Manetti
The White Sox have been working to trade David Robertson to the Washington Nationals. Now those talks have hit a stalemate.
The Chicago White Sox appeared to be on the verge of sending closer David Robertson to the Washington Nationals. Now, those talks have stalled. Phil Rogers tweets the Nationals are unwilling to move catcher Pedro Severino. It’s Rogers’ opinion that the White Sox would part ways with Robertson and give some salary relief if Washington offers up their young prospect. However, the Nationals would rather trade Derek Norris.
Severino would be a nice pickup for the White Sox, as he’s one of the top 10 prospects in Washington’s organization. He also fills an area of need at catcher. The Nationals just inked Matt Wieters to a two-year contract. It was surprising to see Rick Hahn not make a play for Wieters but now his options will be limited.
Rogers tweeted on Wednesday morning the Nationals do have interest in Robertson but they’re unclear if they’ll make a move soon or scout him during World Baseball Classic. We know Hahn’s preference is to make the bulk of his moves by opening day, so it seems like time is running out. That doesn’t mean another team couldn’t emerge as a taker for Robertson or any other veteran on the roster.
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The White Sox insistence on getting another top 10 prospect from the Nationals may be one reason why the talks have gone nowhere. They already grabbed arguably their top two prospects in the Adam Eaton trade. They probably can’t afford to mortgage their farm system anymore than they already have. Still, it would seem Hahn will eventually get what he wants. If teams value Robertson they will be willing to part ways with a top prospect.
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This may be another situation where the front office will wait until the trade deadline to move Robertson. If he is having a decent season, he will provide some value to a contender looking to sure up their bullpen. He will also only be owed about half his salary for the rest of the season, meaning a team doesn’t have to take on the entire salary. However, he does have another year left after this season, so it’s likely the White Sox will have to eat some of his salary. That may not be the worst thing, however, if they get a decent prospect in return.