Yanks made bid to reacquire Robertson

BOSTON -- The Yankees allowed David Robertson to walk as a free agent in the offseason, deciding that they preferred the package of Andrew Miller and the compensatory Draft pick they would obtain as a result of the closer's departure.

At the time, the Yankees spoke highly of Robertson. General manager Brian Cashman even admitted to feigning interest so as to drive up Robertson's asking price on the open market, helping him score a four-year, $48 million deal from the White Sox.

That fondness extended to Monday afternoon, when the Yankees claimed Robertson on waivers, a move first reported by CBS Sports. The claim served dual purposes; the Yankees would not have been opposed to reacquiring Robertson, but it also blocked the Blue Jays from putting in a claim.

Cashman said that he was not permitted to speak to the claim. He said that he was not close to pulling off a deal with any club in advance of Monday's 2 p.m. ET deadline for waiver trades.

The White Sox are known to place players on waivers frequently to gauge interest and are believed to have pulled Robertson back. The right-hander has $38 million remaining on his contract and is 6-3 with a 2.60 ERA and 27 saves in 42 appearances.

The Yankees are happy with their bullpen, anchored by Miller in the closer's role and All-Star setup man Dellin Betances, but they did try to upgrade last month by dabbling in proposals for the Padres' Craig Kimbrel and the Reds' Aroldis Chapman.

New York used Robertson's compensation pick, No. 30 overall, to select shortstop Kyle Holder from the University of San Diego. Holder is with Class A Staten Island.