David Robertson is not excited about a trade, is a 2024 reunion in the cards?

New York Mets rumors about where closer David Robertson lands are about to pick up steam. During the off-day between their series with the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees that begins on Tuesday, Robertson spoke with Newsday’s Tim Healey about his enjoyment of playing for the Mets and how unexcited he is at the idea of being traded.

Robertson has been moved several times at the trade deadline in the past. Last year he went from the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies. In the middle of 2017, he was packaged with Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle from the Chicago White Sox to the New York Yankees for Tyler Clippard and three players who haven’t made the majors.

Mets fans were happy to see Robertson say he likes it “here” and that he’s “not excited about [getting traded].” The idea of a reunion is already something fans on Twitter/X (really?) are contemplating. The 38-year-old has already played for six different teams. He sounds more ready to settle down than to seek out a new deal in the offseason with the Mets.

NY Mets rumors: David Robertson is getting traded, but will he be back next year?

Robertson could be at the point of his career and life where hanging it up is a possibility. Not every player retires when they’re cooked. He does have a World Series ring already. It’s something he has chased since his sophomore season when he was a champion with the 2009 Yankees.

Reading into other quotes from Robertson, he sounds sicker of uncertainty and having to move his family yet again. He is almost on his fourth team in two years. Robertson voiced his frustration a little further in the reality every player traded midseason faces away from the field:

“If it happens, it happens. I’ll pack up everything and figure out where to go and figure out which hotel we’re going to live in and all that crap. Cars getting shipped. It’s just a mess. It’s a mess for a family.”

Yes, Robertson may like playing for the Mets. However, the disappointment of becoming a trade candidate might have him thinking twice about coming back. What’s to say next year will be any different? And if some stability is something he’s looking for, a two-year contract, even at his age, might be all there is to keep him in the league.

Robertson would be a match for the Mets next year. He was signed to be a setup man for Edwin Diaz, something he never got to actually do. Does he go out seeking a closer job? It would seem, based on what Robertson has said about the ongoing Mets rumors, the best thing to do is provide him with some certainty. Signing with a bad team for the sake of earning a paycheck isn’t going to happen. He wants to play for a winner. It’s what attracted him to the Mets in the first place.

We can twist Robertson’s words in a lot of different ways. He likes it here, but what’s to guarantee he’d have much interest at all in coming back and reliving the 2023 season? A two-year deal seems lofty for a player his age for a ball club witnessing their $40+ million pitchers fade.

None of the Mets players are probably eager to get traded. They signed here to win a championship. Robertson, on a one-year deal and in a reduced role, was definitely expecting to pitch in October for the Mets.