The 2018-2019 off-season was an uneventful one for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, one move the team made was trading international bonus pool money to the Philadelphia Phillies for reliever Nick Burdi after the Phillies selected Burdi from the Minnesota Twins in the Rule 5 Draft.
Burdi quickly became a big part of the Pirate bullpen and looked primed for a breakout season in 2019. From the get go in 2019, former Pirate manager Clint Hurdle was trusting Burdi in high leverage situations. However, due to a nerve issue in his right arm, Burdi’s season was cut short.