A former reliever with the Chicago Cubs was lost to the New York Yankees in free agency.
Nick Burdi, who pitched three games for the Cubs in 2023, agreed to a minor-league contract with the Yankees, which includes an invitation to Major League Spring Training, according to a YES Network report on Thursday.
With two Tommy John operations under his belt, the Cubs had anticipated that the 30-year-old right-hander would be a reliable reclamation project. However, his career is now over.
Truly, his stay in Chicago never got off the ground. Nine days after Burdi’s appendicitis episode, the Cubs had to place him on the 15-day injured list, after the team’s May 15 contract selection.
By then, his 9.00 ERA came from throwing three innings across three games.
Despite rehab assignments with the Triple-A Iowa Cubs and the ACL Cubs, he never returned to the Majors after the Cubs placed him on the 60-day injured list in June.
His minor league stats did appear encouraging. Despite making 23 minor league appearances the previous season, he was not considered for a decision. In 21 innings, he struck out 35 and walked 15, for an ERA of 3.86.
However, the Cubs let Burdi to become a free agent when they had to make selections regarding their roster before the tender deadline.
The Minnesota Twins picked Burdi in the 2014 MLB Draft. But his progress was halted by injuries to his right arm. In 2017 and 2020, he underwent Tommy John surgery twice.
He was able to play a few games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the interim from 2018 to 20.
He has a 3.51 ERA and a 10-8 record in his minor league career. After 19 games, he has a 9.39 ERA and a 2-2 record in the Majors.
