Mets Organization Pitcher, 6-Year MLB Veteran, Suddenly Retires With Season In Crisis

New York Mets Lose Veteran Pitcher To Surprising Retirement

But now news has surfaced that the team won’t be able to rely on at least one minor-league pitching depth option going forward, as MLB veteran Nick Burdi suddenly retired on Tuesday, per his official transaction log.

Burdi pitched for the Boston Red Sox last year, appearing in four big-league games and finishing two of them, with five strikeouts and no earned runs. In 2024, he appeared in 12 games for the New York Yankees and he has pitched for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates as well.

Burdi signed a minor-league deal with the Mets in the offseason and, at the time, it seemed like he could make his way to the major-league roster.

“You can never have enough bullpen options, and the Mets, like every other team during the offseason, searched far and wide to find some intriguing pitchers that they could sign and try out in spring training,” Vasilis Drimalitis wrote for SBNation’s Amazin’ Avenue. “One of those options is Nick Burdi, a former second-round draft pick who is looking to rebuild his career after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery and a second Tommy John Surgery within the past few years.”

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New York Mets’ 33-Year-Old Pitcher Suddenly Ends Career After Big-League Roster Cut

But Burdi was cut from big-league camp in March, after his preseason outings fell short of expectations.

“The 33-year-old righty was given the chance to compete for a spot in the Mets’ Opening Day bullpen during spring training, but he was cut after yielding two runs in two innings in his two Grapefruit League appearances,” CBS Sports reported at the time. “Expect Burdi to report to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season.”

Burdi posted a 2.08 ERA with five total games for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate this season before hanging up his spikes for good. And as the big-league club looks to turn things around before it’s too late, it seems the six-year MLB veteran will no longer be an option.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com