The Boston Red Sox have added a former New York Yankees pitcher to their organization.
Veteran reliever Nick Burdi announced on Instagram that he has signed with the Red Sox. The 32-year-old right-hander posted a 1-0 record with a 1.86 ERA, striking out 12 batters over 9.2 innings for the Yankees.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Burdi is in minor league camp, and his contract does not include a spring training invite. It remains unclear whether his deal includes an opt-out clause.
A second-round pick in 2014, Burdi has a career 6.48 ERA over 31 MLB appearances. He made his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2018 and has also pitched for the Chicago Cubs.
Control has been a major challenge for Burdi, as he has issued 19 walks in 25 career innings.
At best, Burdi provides experienced depth and showed flashes of promise with the Yankees. He is expected to start the season in Triple-A, likely working as a setup or middle reliever.
Burdi has not served as a closer since his final college season at Louisville in 2014.
Unfortunately, injuries have plagued his professional career. He underwent Tommy John surgery in both 2017 and 2020, as well as thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in 2019.
During his time with the Cubs, Burdi missed most of the 2023 season due to an emergency appendectomy. A hip injury sidelined him after May 23, preventing him from pitching the rest of the year.
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