Earlier this week, I covered how no one is seizing the opportunity being presented at shortstop or as the Pittsburgh Pirates fifth starting pitcher. This is not true for right-handed relief pitcher Nick Burdi, though. So far this spring, Burdi has seized the opportunity he’s been given and run with it.
At last year’s Winter Meetings the Pirates drafted Burdi in the minor league edition of the rule 5 Draft. At the time Burdi was recovering from Tommy John Surgery. Due to this, he spent most of the 2018 season rehabbing in the minor leagues.