The Chicago Cubs have lost a former reliever to the New York Yankees in free agency.
The YES Network reported on Thursday that Nick Burdi, who pitched three games for the Cubs in 2023, agreed to a minor-league deal with the Yankees, which comes with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Thus closes the book on the 30-year-old right-hander, a pitcher the Cubs hoped would be a solid reclamation project after two Tommy John surgeries in his career.
His time in Chicago truly never got started. After the Cubs selected his contract on May 15, the Cubs had to move him to the 15-day injured list nine days later after Burdi suffered a bout of appendicitis.
By then, he threw three innings in three games and had a 9.00 ERA.
The Cubs moved him to the 60-day injured list in June and he never got back to the Majors, despite rehab assignments with the ACL Cubs and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.
His numbers in the minors did look promising. He made 23 appearances in the minors last season but didn’t figure in a decision. He had a 3.86 ERA, striking out 35 and walking 15 in 21 innings.
But, when the Cubs had to make decisions about their roster going into the tender deadline, they allowed Burdi to hit free agency.
Burdi was selected in 2014 by the Minnesota Twins. But injuries to his right arm derailed his progress. He had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and again in 2020.
In between, he was able to make a handful of appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2018-20.
In his minor-league career, he is 10-8 with a 3.51 ERA. In the Majors, he is 2-2 with a 9.39 ERA in 19 games.
More must-reads: