Red Sox sign oft-injured veteran righty who made Yankees roster in 2024..
Since the start of spring training, the Red Sox have added veterans Adam Ottavino and Matt Moore to their camp roster as non-roster invitees. Another experienced arm has joined the mix, albeit not in major league camp.
Boston signed 32-year-old right-hander Nick Burdi to a minor league contract, a source confirmed late Friday. The oft-injured reliever is in minor league camp and is not a non-roster invitee on the big league side. He was spotted in Fort Myers on Friday, as Beyond The Monster’s Chris Henrique first reported.
Burdi, a Louisville star who the Twins took in the second-round back in 2014, has logged 31 appearances over parts of five seasons with the Pirates, Cubs and Yankees. In 2024, he made New York’s Opening Day roster, then posted a 1.86 ERA (along with a 5.44 FIP) in 12 appearances (9 ⅔ innings) out of the Yankees’ bullpen before hitting the injured list. His fastball maxed out at 97.7 mph but he also walked nine batters in that short sample period. In 17 relief innings at Triple-A last year, he logged a 2.65 ERA with a 24:11 strikeout-to-walk rate.
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Burdi has been bitten hard by the injury bug throughout his career, having Tommy John surgery in May 2017 and October 2020 as well as thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in 2019. He missed most of 2023 after an emergency appendectomy and most of 2024 with a hip issue. In total, he has a 6.48 ERA in 25 big league innings.
Burdi seems like someone who, if healthy, will open the year in Worcester’s bullpen. His brother, Zack, was the 26th overall pick in 2016 and has made 18 appearances in the majors with the White Sox, Orioles and Rays.
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Red Sox sign ex-Yankees reliever to minor league deal.
Former Yankee Nick Burdi has signed a minor league deal with the rival Red Sox.
The Boston Red Sox continue to add veteran arms to their pitching depth, signing right-handed reliever Nick Burdi to a minor league contract. While Burdi won’t be joining major league camp as a non-roster invitee, he will report to minor league camp, where he hopes to prove he can stay healthy and contribute at some point in 2025.
Burdi, 32, has battled injuries throughout his career but has flashed electric stuff when healthy. He spent the 2024 season with the New York Yankees, making the team’s Opening Day roster and posting a solid 1.86 ERA over 9 2/3 innings in 12 appearances. However, his peripherals were concerning, as he also recorded a 5.44 FIP and issued nine walks while hitting two batters. His command struggles led to a 24.4% walk and hit-by-pitch rate, which overshadowed his promising run prevention.
Burdi’s fastball remains a weapon, topping out at 97.7 mph last season, but staying on the mound has been his biggest challenge. The former second-round pick out of Louisville has undergone two Tommy John surgeries (2017, 2020) and also had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in 2019. An emergency appendectomy largely wiped out his 2023 season, and a hip injury limited him to just 9 2/3 MLB innings and 17 Triple-A innings in 2024.
Nick Burdi looks to get a fresh start with the Red Sox
