Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports that right-handers Nick Burdi and Clayton Beeter have been informed that they have won the camp competition for bullpen roles.
Sherman notes that the Yankees may still alter their plans if other possibilities arise in the coming days. MLBTR broke the news about Beeter earlier today.
The 31-year-old Burdi excelled this spring after inking a minor league contract with the Yanks back in December. In his seven Yankees appearances, he has given up two earned runs, four walks, and thirteen strikeouts.
Throughout his career, the right-hander has averaged a fastball in the upper 90s, giving him a formidable toolkit. However, a major barrier for him has been his health, or lack thereof. He had Tommy John surgery in 2017, thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in 2019 and a second Tommy John in November of 2020.
Burdi has managed to toss 15 1/3 innings in the major leagues despite undergoing numerous operations; nonetheless, he has nearly four years of major league service time, the most of which was spent on the injured list. In that little sample of big league work, he has a 9.39 earned run average, but he strikes out 36% of batters, which is excellent.
His walk rate of 13.3% raises questions about his level of control, but it could also be a sign of too much time lost, making it difficult for him to establish a rhythm. Because of those absences, he has only thrown 21 minor league innings in the last five years.
That makes him a genuine wild card. Due to two major surgeries, he hasn’t pitched much in recent seasons despite being a great pitcher in college and the early stages of his minor league career.
The team is still allowing themselves a bit of room
Sherman notes that although he is not currently on the Yankees’ 40-man roster and will need to be added, the team is still allowing themselves a bit of room in case things change. This week, teams all over the league will make their final roster decisions, which will result in a number of players being assigned, released, or opting out. The Yankees may decide not to pursue Burdi if they discover someone in that pile who catches their eye. Sherman reports that if they do, the righty has an April 15 opt-out in his deal.
The Yankees will have to make an equivalent move, Provided Burdi is added to the team. Oswald Peraza may be placed on the 60-day injured list to make room for someone else because it was stated two weeks ago that he would be sidelined for six to eight weeks due to a shoulder ailment.
In order to heal from his elbow issue, Gerrit Cole will likely need to take a few weeks off. However, the club may not be willing to place him on the 60-day IL until they are certain he won’t be able to play before the end of May.
Sherman reports that although Tommy Kahnle (right-hander) is experiencing some irritation in his shoulder, the Yankees anticipate having him back in the lineup two weeks into the season.
If that comes to pass, Burdi will need to formally claim a position on the 40-man roster before Beeter can be relegated to the minors to make room for him.