The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Monday afternoon that right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi has elected free agency. Burdi was designated for assignment on November 1st and cleared waivers five days later. The Pirates sent him outright to Indianapolis on Friday, though he had the right to elect free agency and refuse the assignment. Burdi recently had his second Tommy John surgery and he will miss the entire 2021 season.
In three seasons with the Pirates, the December 2017 Rule 5 pick pitched just 12.1 innings total over 16 appearances. Injuries have limited the 27-year-old to a total of 127.1 innings in the minors/majors since being drafted in 2014.
