Although the Yankees love David Robertson and want him back in their bullpen for 2015, it may be his success as closer that sends him to another team. Jon Heyman writes that the Yankees seem to currently prefer Andrew Miller over Robertson at the present time. Both Robertson and Miller are looking at contracts in the four year range this winter, and Robertson could be poised to break the record for reliever contracts with money that ends up somewhere in the Jonathan Papelbon range. He's proven himself effective in the ninth inning, which still means something to some teams. Miller hasn't gotten the closer label, possibly keeping his cost down a bit more than Robertson.
The other benefit the Yankees may see to signing Miller over Robertson is the fact that Miller doesn't cost them a draft pick after he was traded from the Red Sox to the Orioles ahead of the trade deadline last season. Once Robertson signs elsewhere, they'd receive a pick because they offered Robertson a qualifying offer that he later refused. The team lost three picks last season in order to sign Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carlos Beltran, so they might want to recoup a bit of that by keeping the extra draft pick if they can.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says that the Yankees still haven't ruled out that they might sign both Miller and Robertson to increase an already-strong bullpen. The Astros and Blue Jays haven't ruled out their interest in Robertson and Miller, and Miller's former team, the Red Sox, have also had contact with the left-hander. The rest of the free agent relievers are basically in a holding pattern until the two top ones, Robertson and Miller, sign new deals.
Do you think the Yankees are making the right decision in preferring Miller to Robertson at this stage? Is it totally crazy to think they could end up with both?