Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Robertson undeterred by waiver claim reports

Closer remains on South Side with three years left on deal

MINNEAPOLIS -- David Robertson received a few texts Monday afternoon after national reports broke that the Yankees had been awarded a waiver claim on the White Sox closer.

Friends were asking Robertson if he was going back to New York, where he pitched the first seven years of his career before joining the White Sox via a four-year, $46 million deal this past offseason. And what was his response to the inquiries?

"I was like, 'I literally have no idea, it's not my call,'" said Robertson, who has saved 27 games for the White Sox, while striking out 71 and walking 11 over 52 innings. "I felt like I wasn't going, but it was just weird. Still weird.

"Everybody's on [waivers]. I don't think there's anyone in this clubhouse who's not on the list. Usually that stuff just comes and goes. It's just weird it came up."

White Sox call up Johnson and Montas

Despite having hard-throwing Nate Jones fully recovered and back to form in late-inning relief, the White Sox were gauging interest in Robertson by putting him through waivers. It's a practice they do with many players, and a practice done by many teams. The Yankees could have claimed Robertson simply to block him from getting to Toronto.

Robertson remains firmly in the White Sox plans as the anchor of a revamped and solid bullpen for what the South Siders hope is a 2016 playoff contender after this season's disappointment. But while general manager Rick Hahn wouldn't specifically talk about his offseason plans, he made it clear that the front office's current thought process falls in the anything is possible category.

"There's no sacred cows. Everything is on the table and we are looking at everything," Hahn said. "The approach we've had for the last several weeks or months in the front office has been to be extremely open minded.

"Make sure we are examining every facet of what we are doing from our decision-making in the front office to on the field and the development in the Minors and scouting. Make sure we are comfortable with everything in terms of the processes and where we can get better."

That approach is understood by Robertson, even with three years and $36 million left on his deal after this season.

"Those GMs are going to be wheeling and dealing, talking to everybody else, always trying to get better and take the next step," said Robertson, who admitted it would have been weird going back to the Yankees, but thought the situation was funny more than anything. "If it ends up me being moved for them to do that, then they're going to do it. There's nothing I can say about it, nothing I can do about it.

"I'm here to play, show up, do my job. I feel like the rest of that they handle."

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin and listen to his podcast.
Read More: Chicago White Sox, David Robertson