Former Chicago Cubs Rule 5 Draft Pick Signs With Boston Red Sox

One of the former Chicago Cubs pitchers has a new home with the Boston Red Sox.

May 20, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Nick Burdi (49) pitches in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won 12-3 / John Geliebter-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have dealt with a problematic bullpen the last few years that's cost them a spot in the playoffs.

During the offseason this time around, the front office made sure that wouldn't be the case.

Not only did they make some early winter signings and trades that overhauled and upgraded the unit, but they put the cherry on top when they acquired star reliever Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros to become the team's new closer.

Someone they hoped would be part of the equation in 2023 was Nick Burdi.

The Cubs selected the right-hander in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, buying low on a pitcher who had made 16 appearances at the Major League level from 2018-20.

The story with Burdi has been the injuries he's accrued throughout his career, undergoing Tommy John surgery twice which stunted the development of the former second-round pick in the 2014 MLB draft.

Chicago knew that when they took him in the 2022 Rule 5 draft

But it seemed like he was recovering nicely from his injury, posting a 3.38 ERA across his 11 outings in the minors the following season with 19 strikeouts in 10.2 innings pitched. That caused the Cubs to call him up to The Show, his first appearance at that level in three years.

Things didn't quite go as smoothly for Burdi in the Majors, though.

He allowed three earned runs in his three appearances, but it was the emergency appendectomy he underwent following his third outing which prevented him from throwing another pitch for the Cubs.

After the season, he elected free agency, eventually signing with the New York Yankees ahead of the 2024 campaign where he performed well before being shut down with another injury.

Burdi is getting another opportunity, though.

Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Boston Red Sox have signed the right-hander to a minor league deal. This doesn't come with an invite to their Major League spring camp, so he'll likely begin the year on the farm.

It's been a difficult career for Burdi on the injury front, and while it didn't work out for him in Chicago, there's some hope he can put it all together during his age-32 season in 2025.

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