Yankees' David Robertson: I'd 'like' to return, but ...

Yankees reliever David Robertson will be a free agent at the end of the 2018 season. So, too, will be Zach Britton.

NEW YORK — Could David Robertson bolt the Yankees for a bigger payday again?

The valued reliever said he likes the idea of being part of the future in the Bronx but added a caveat.

“Obviously, I’d like to think that,” he said, following the Yankees’ season-ending 4-3 loss to the Red Sox in Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

“But I don’t know what’s going to happen the next few months. I’ll wait and see what happens. I’ll literally have to wait and see what happens. That’s the best I can tell you on that. I have to look out what’s best for me.”

See the 2018 Yankees report card grades

Robertson finished the season with a 3.23 ERA in 69 games and 69 2/3 innings. He served as one of manager Aaron Boone‘s most important bullpen pieces, a former closer who had no problems entering games whenever needed.

He’s one of two important pieces that could be on the way out. Lefty Zach Britton is expected to get big money as a free agent with teams likely considering him a high-end closer. Britton has said he’d “love” to stay with the Yankees and that closing is no longer a top priority for him, but he’s unlikely to get top dollar from general manager Brian Cashman considering the presence of Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances.

Robertson, who will be 34 in April, left the Yankees the first time for the White Sox and a four-year, $46-million deal before the 2015 season. Cashman reacquired him in a midseason trade with Chicago last year.

The Yankees drafted him in the 17th round in 2006 out of the University of Alabama. He was an All-Star in 2011.

Robertson said he thought the Yankees had a chance to win a World Series in 2018. He was part of the last Yankees team to nab a ring in 2009.

“Definitely felt we had a good chance,” he said. “Got a lot of talent in this clubhouse right now. A lot of it is young talent. These guys are only going to get better. Only time will tell. It’s a tough season, a tough grind. We just fell a little short.”

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.