Article: New Bullpen Addition Nick Burdi Has Had Quite The Baseball Career

[Nick John]

Nick Burdi made his Boston debut Friday night as he threw seven pitches, five of them strikes, to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning. While his final stat line of just a third of an inning pitched isn’t that fascinating, the story behind him making it to the Red Sox is. Burdi, now 32 years old, began his journey over a decade ago.

Drafted back in 2011 by the Minnesota Twins in the 24th round, Burdi decided to bet on himself and turned down their offer, instead attending the University of Louisville where he became one of the top prospects in the 2014 draft. Led by a fastball that could reach 100 miles per hour, Burdi was selected by the Minnesota Twins once more, but this time in the second round of the 2014 draft and signed for a $1.2 million bonus. Burdi was assigned to the Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels to begin his career, but after throwing 13 innings where he had a 4.15 ERA and struck out 26, he was promoted to High-A Fort Myers and continued to dominate in seven appearances. In 7 1/3 innings that season for Fort Myers, he didn’t allow a run and struck out 12.

After that, it was an up-and-down journey for Burdi, opening 2015 with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts only to struggle early with a 5.93 ERA that got him demoted back to Fort Myers in June. He wasn’t there for long, pitching in 13 games and throwing 20 innings with a 2.25 ERA and striking out 29. In his return to Double A, Burdi would close out the season throwing 20 1/3 innings with a 1.77 ERA for Chattanooga, bringing his stats at the level to 30 appearances, 43 2/3 innings and a 4.53 ERA on the season. Overall, he finished with 63 2/3 innings in 43 games and a 3.82 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 2015.

After the season, Burdi was selected for the Arizona Fall League and got into eight games, pitching eight scoreless innings and striking out 11.

2016 would be a lost season for Burdi, throwing only three innings due to a bone bruise in his right elbow that would lead to him starting 2017 in Double-A once more. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a long 2017 for Burdi either, as the right-hander would need Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in May of that season, costing him the rest of that season and what was expected to be most if not all of 2018. In 14 games for Chattanooga in 2017, Burdi threw 17 innings and struck out 20 with a 0.53 ERA.

The 2017 offseason saw the first of many changes of scenery for Burdi, as he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 draft. He wasn’t meant to stay with the Phillies for long, being dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates for $500,000 of international signing bonus money. Burdi would rehab for most of the 2018 season as he made his way back from surgery. He would go on to appear in 10 minor league games across three levels of the Pirates' farm system, throwing 11 combined innings and logging a 5.73 ERA. Despite that, Burdi would be activated from the injured list on September 1st, 2018, when rosters expanded and would go on to make his MLB debut on September 11th, throwing one-third of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Burdi wouldn’t appear much more after that, only getting into one more game and finishing 2018 in the majors with a 20.25 ERA in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

2019 seemed to be a chance for Burdi to get back to his old self, as he made the Opening Day roster. However, he would only appear in 11 games and struggled to the tune of a 9.35 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. though he did strike out 17. On June 25th he would undergo surgery once more, this time needing thoracic outlet surgery to relieve his symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome and would cost him the rest of 2019.

The 2020 pandemic-shortened season would be more of the same for Burdi, as he appeared in only three games before going on the injured list once more with an injury to his right elbow. In August, he would receive a platelet-rich plasma injection to try and avoid surgery on the elbow, but it was futile as in October he underwent his second Tommy John surgery ruling him out for the 2021 season. In November of 2020, he would be designated for assignment by the Pirates and became a free agent on November 9th. He wouldn’t be a free agent for long, as Burdi would go on to sign with the San Diego Padres on a minor league deal on December 22nd, 2020. Burdi would not pitch a single game in 2021 as he recovered from his October surgery.

In 2022, he would be assigned to the Padre’s Triple-A team, the El Paso Chihuahuas, but ended up being released on April 21st before making his first appearance. He would resign with San Diego on a minor league contract on May 4th but would not make a single appearance.

After missing two years recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, Burdi would go on to be selected by the Chicago Cubs in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft on December 7th, 2022. He would finally return from surgery in 2023 as he pitched in 11 games for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. In that span, he tossed 10 2/3 innings where he earned five saves and struck out 19 with a 3.38 ERA.

Seeing that he was pitching well, the Cubs selected Burdi’s contract and added it to their active roster on May 15th. After nearly two and a half seasons, Burdi was back in the majors. Unfortunately, his stint wasn't long, as he was placed on the injured list on May 24th after undergoing an emergency appendectomy, and on June 13th, he was moved to the 60-day injured list. He would only appear in three games with the Cubs, throwing three innings and striking out four with a 9.00 ERA. After the season, he was removed from the 40-man roster and outrighted to Iowa, though on November 6th, he elected to become a free agent.

Burdi’s time as a free agent would last about two months. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees on December 21st, 2023 with an invitation to spring training. He would have such a great spring that he broke camp with the major league team and carried that hot start into the season. Through his first 12 games of 2024, Burdi would throw 9 2/3 innings, striking out 12 and recording a 1.86 ERA. Unfortunately, injury issues would occur once more for Burdi, as he would go back onto the injured list on May 24th with right hip inflammation. The right-hander would receive a platelet-rich plasma injection for his hip but it didn’t help much, and he would be moved to the 60-day injured list on June 23rd. Burdi would go on to be activated on August 1st, though he wouldn’t pitch again for the major league team and was designated for assignment by the Yankees on September 7th. Burdi would clear waivers and be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where he played for the RailRiders for the remainder of the season. Overall, with Scranton, he would appear in 18 games, tossing 17 innings and posting a 2.65 ERA with 24 strikeouts.

Burdi would elect free agency after the season, though did not sign a new contract until after spring training had begun. On February 28th, 2025, Burdi agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He would go on to open the season with Worcester, becoming one of their top arms in the bullpen as we've covered previously. Burdi appeared in 13 games for Worcester, tossing 16 2/3 innings while earning three saves and striking out 25 with a 0.54 ERA. His impressive showing was enough for Boston to give him a chance with their bullpen in need of an arm after recent struggles in the rotation caused them to pitch quite often in Detroit.

Burdi is now pitching for his sixth (technically seventh, but we won’t count the Phillies since he was immediately traded) organization, with the hopes that this time, he can finally show teams just what made him so good in college and his early minor league career before injuries derailed everything. Despite the two Tommy John surgeries, Burdi is still able to reach 97 on his fastball, showing an unbelievable amount of grit an tenacity for a 32-year-old.

His journey to this point has been arduous, but no one can doubt Burdi's drive. He's an easy guy to root for, and he'd make for one heck of a success story if the Red Sox can keep him healthy in 2025.

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[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 hour ago, Nick John said:

Nick Burdi made his Boston debut Friday night as he threw seven pitches, five of them strikes, to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning. While his final stat line of just a third of an inning pitched isn’t that fascinating, the story behind him making it to the Red Sox is. Burdi, now 32 years old, began his journey over a decade ago.

Drafted back in 2011 by the Minnesota Twins in the 24th round, Burdi decided to bet on himself and turned down their offer, instead attending the University of Louisville where he became one of the top prospects in the 2014 draft. Led by a fastball that could reach 100 miles per hour, Burdi was selected by the Minnesota Twins once more, but this time in the second round of the 2014 draft and signed for a $1.2 million bonus. Burdi was assigned to the Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels to begin his career, but after throwing 13 innings where he had a 4.15 ERA and struck out 26, he was promoted to High-A Fort Myers and continued to dominate in seven appearances. In 7 1/3 innings that season for Fort Myers, he didn’t allow a run and struck out 12.

After that, it was an up-and-down journey for Burdi, opening 2015 with the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts only to struggle early with a 5.93 ERA that got him demoted back to Fort Myers in June. He wasn’t there for long, pitching in 13 games and throwing 20 innings with a 2.25 ERA and striking out 29. In his return to Double A, Burdi would close out the season throwing 20 1/3 innings with a 1.77 ERA for Chattanooga, bringing his stats at the level to 30 appearances, 43 2/3 innings and a 4.53 ERA on the season. Overall, he finished with 63 2/3 innings in 43 games and a 3.82 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 2015.

After the season, Burdi was selected for the Arizona Fall League and got into eight games, pitching eight scoreless innings and striking out 11.

2016 would be a lost season for Burdi, throwing only three innings due to a bone bruise in his right elbow that would lead to him starting 2017 in Double-A once more. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be a long 2017 for Burdi either, as the right-hander would need Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in May of that season, costing him the rest of that season and what was expected to be most if not all of 2018. In 14 games for Chattanooga in 2017, Burdi threw 17 innings and struck out 20 with a 0.53 ERA.

The 2017 offseason saw the first of many changes of scenery for Burdi, as he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Rule 5 draft. He wasn’t meant to stay with the Phillies for long, being dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates for $500,000 of international signing bonus money. Burdi would rehab for most of the 2018 season as he made his way back from surgery. He would go on to appear in 10 minor league games across three levels of the Pirates' farm system, throwing 11 combined innings and logging a 5.73 ERA. Despite that, Burdi would be activated from the injured list on September 1st, 2018, when rosters expanded and would go on to make his MLB debut on September 11th, throwing one-third of an inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Burdi wouldn’t appear much more after that, only getting into one more game and finishing 2018 in the majors with a 20.25 ERA in 1 1/3 innings pitched.

2019 seemed to be a chance for Burdi to get back to his old self, as he made the Opening Day roster. However, he would only appear in 11 games and struggled to the tune of a 9.35 ERA in 8 2/3 innings. though he did strike out 17. On June 25th he would undergo surgery once more, this time needing thoracic outlet surgery to relieve his symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome and would cost him the rest of 2019.

The 2020 pandemic-shortened season would be more of the same for Burdi, as he appeared in only three games before going on the injured list once more with an injury to his right elbow. In August, he would receive a platelet-rich plasma injection to try and avoid surgery on the elbow, but it was futile as in October he underwent his second Tommy John surgery ruling him out for the 2021 season. In November of 2020, he would be designated for assignment by the Pirates and became a free agent on November 9th. He wouldn’t be a free agent for long, as Burdi would go on to sign with the San Diego Padres on a minor league deal on December 22nd, 2020. Burdi would not pitch a single game in 2021 as he recovered from his October surgery.

In 2022, he would be assigned to the Padre’s Triple-A team, the El Paso Chihuahuas, but ended up being released on April 21st before making his first appearance. He would resign with San Diego on a minor league contract on May 4th but would not make a single appearance.

After missing two years recovering from his second Tommy John surgery, Burdi would go on to be selected by the Chicago Cubs in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft on December 7th, 2022. He would finally return from surgery in 2023 as he pitched in 11 games for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. In that span, he tossed 10 2/3 innings where he earned five saves and struck out 19 with a 3.38 ERA.

Seeing that he was pitching well, the Cubs selected Burdi’s contract and added it to their active roster on May 15th. After nearly two and a half seasons, Burdi was back in the majors. Unfortunately, his stint wasn't long, as he was placed on the injured list on May 24th after undergoing an emergency appendectomy, and on June 13th, he was moved to the 60-day injured list. He would only appear in three games with the Cubs, throwing three innings and striking out four with a 9.00 ERA. After the season, he was removed from the 40-man roster and outrighted to Iowa, though on November 6th, he elected to become a free agent.

Burdi’s time as a free agent would last about two months. He signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees on December 21st, 2023 with an invitation to spring training. He would have such a great spring that he broke camp with the major league team and carried that hot start into the season. Through his first 12 games of 2024, Burdi would throw 9 2/3 innings, striking out 12 and recording a 1.86 ERA. Unfortunately, injury issues would occur once more for Burdi, as he would go back onto the injured list on May 24th with right hip inflammation. The right-hander would receive a platelet-rich plasma injection for his hip but it didn’t help much, and he would be moved to the 60-day injured list on June 23rd. Burdi would go on to be activated on August 1st, though he wouldn’t pitch again for the major league team and was designated for assignment by the Yankees on September 7th. Burdi would clear waivers and be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre where he played for the RailRiders for the remainder of the season. Overall, with Scranton, he would appear in 18 games, tossing 17 innings and posting a 2.65 ERA with 24 strikeouts.

Burdi would elect free agency after the season, though did not sign a new contract until after spring training had begun. On February 28th, 2025, Burdi agreed to a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox. He would go on to open the season with Worcester, becoming one of their top arms in the bullpen as we've covered previously. Burdi appeared in 13 games for Worcester, tossing 16 2/3 innings while earning three saves and striking out 25 with a 0.54 ERA. His impressive showing was enough for Boston to give him a chance with their bullpen in need of an arm after recent struggles in the rotation caused them to pitch quite often in Detroit.

Burdi is now pitching for his sixth (technically seventh, but we won’t count the Phillies since he was immediately traded) organization, with the hopes that this time, he can finally show teams just what made him so good in college and his early minor league career before injuries derailed everything. Despite the two Tommy John surgeries, Burdi is still able to reach 97 on his fastball, showing an unbelievable amount of grit an tenacity for a 32-year-old.

His journey to this point has been arduous, but no one can doubt Burdi's drive. He's an easy guy to root for, and he'd make for one heck of a success story if the Red Sox can keep him healthy in 2025.

 

View full article

 

SSS, but I like what I've seen so far. He deserves to be successful, so let's hope he is.