RUN AWAY!Robertson unwilling to $hare with others
Money might not be to blame for everything evil, but it could create an awkward situation in the Yankees’ clubhouse if free agent David Robertson returns. Or it might be the reason the Yankees say so long to the talented reliever for a second time. When the Yankees gathered in St. Petersburg, Fla., in the final week of the season for a players-only meeting to determine postseason shares, Robertson chaired the event that resulted in assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere getting voted a half share, Zach Fieroh, an analyst for the major league coaching staff and a regular in the team’s traveling party, receiving nothing and several support staffers who also travel regularly being cut out after being among those who received shares or partial shares a year ago. Coaches and trainers aren’t guaranteed a share, but historically are voted full shares, especially when they are as dedicated as Pilittere. Fieroh’s situation could be about him being part of the front office. However, it is very rare a regular member of the traveling party, who is involved in the day-to-day operations, is shut out. Though Robertson was just one voter and obviously had others supporting his suggestions, some believe he could have done more to make sure nonplayers got more of the pot. Shares are announced early next month. Robertson ran the meeting because he has been involved in players union issues and had been a player rep in the past, and Adam Warren — who has also been involved — was traded to the Mariners in July. The vote — which didn’t include players J.A. Happ, Zach Britton, Lance Lynn, Andrew McCutchen and Luke Voit since they were acquired via in-season trades — caused enough of a stir that a second meeting was planned but never held.
To be able to vote, a player had to have been on the active roster from June 1 and remained on the roster. Also, the player had to be eligible to participate in the World Series.
There was some chatter the players were operating on orders from the Players Association to cut back on non-player shares, but a person with knowledge of the union’s thinking said that wasn’t the case.
Could the share slight affect the Yankees’ decision to bring back the 33-year-old Robertson, who was very effective in 2018, going 8-3 with a 3.23 ERA in 69 games and struck out 91 in 69 2/3 innings?
General manager Brian Cashman and Robertson were vague in their answers when asked by The Post’s Ken Davidoff at the general managers’ meetings in Atlanta.
“I feel I have a good relationship with David Robertson,’’ Cashman said.
Robertson, who left agent Scott Leventhal and is representing himself, answered via email.
“I have a good relationship with Cash, and the rest of the front office as well,’’ Robertson said. “As Yankees players, we are fortunate that our club provides incredible support staff. We appreciate those individuals and everything they do for us.’’
If Robertson, who made $13 million last year in the final leg of the four-year, $46 million deal he signed as a free agent with the White Sox following the 2014 season, doesn’t return, that would create two openings in the Yankees’ bullpen, since Britton is expected to sign with a team looking for a closer.
When the vote was taken by players, it obviously wasn’t known how far into the postseason the Yankees would go. The deeper a team advances, the higher the shares because shares are based on gate receipts from the wild-card games through the World Series. For example, the 2017 World Series champion Astros gave out 60 full shares amounting to $438,901.57 for each recipient out of a $30.4 million pot. At the other end of the spectrum was the Twins, who lost to the Yankees in the AL wild-card game, voted 62 full shares ($18,990.36 per).
The 2017 Yankees, who went to Game 7 of the ALCS and lost to the Astros, voted 57 full shares (ninth among the 10 teams in the postseason) worth $138,897.63 each and 15.01 partial shares. It hasn’t been determined what the share will be for losing to the Red Sox in this past season’s ALDS, but in 2017 the Indians, who lost to the Yankees in the ALDS, voted 62 full shares ($36,782.68 per).
Possible free-agent replacements for Robertson and Britton are right-hander Adam Ottavino, who turns 33 on Thanksgiving Day, and 33-year-old lefty Andrew Miller.
Ottavino, a New York City native and product of Brooklyn’s Berkeley Carroll High School and Northeastern University, went 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA in 75 games (tying a career high) for the Rockies this past season. Armed with a filthy slider, he fanned 112 in 77 2/3 innings and allowed 41 hits after working out last winter in a Harlem warehouse.
Miller just finished the fouryear, $46 million the Yankees gave him after the 2014 season. He was dealt from the Yankees to the Indians at the trading deadline in 2016 and appeared in just 37 games this past season because of knee, hamstring and shoulder problems.