The Orioles have claimed right-hander Zack Burdi off waivers from the White Sox and designated lefty Ryan Hartman for assignment, per a team announcement. Burdi, 26, had been designated for assignment by the White Sox earlier this week. Baltimore has optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk for the time being.
The 26-year-old Burdi was the White Sox’ first-round pick out of Louisville back in 2016. The younger brother of former Twins top prospect Nick Burdi, Zack was viewed as a potential late-inning powerhouse (as was his brother) when the Sox tabbed him with the 26th overall pick. Unfortunately for both Burdi brothers, injuries have severely impacted their development. Zack had Tommy John surgery in 2018 and has also missed time due to a torn tendon in his knee.
Even though it’s been more than five years since he was drafted, injuries have limited Burdi to just 141 1/3 innings between the minors and the big leagues. He’s tossed just 16 1/3 of those frames in the Majors and allowed 15 runs in that time. His minor league numbers aren’t overwhelmingly better; he’s worked to a 4.90 ERA across five levels, including a 4.74 mark in 74 Triple-A frames.
That said, it’s also not hard to see why a club in the Orioles’ position would be intrigued by Burdi. He’s still just 26 years old, isn’t far removed from being considered one of the game’s more promising bullpen prospects, and his power arsenal is still tantalizing. Burdi averaged a whopping 98 mph on his fastball in 2020 and 96 mph in 2021, and he’s fanned 29.9 percent of the opponents he’s faced as a professional. The Orioles have a number of bullpen-only arms on their 40-man roster, and while Burdi is something of a project, he also comes with a good bit more upside than most of those other bullpen prospects. Baltimore has lost 13 straight to drop to MLB’s worst club, but in the process, they’ve moved to the top priority on leaguewide waiver claims.
Hartman, 27, made his big league debut with the Astros earlier this season but has still pitched just 2 1/3 innings at the MLB level. He’s allowed a run on three hits and no walks with two punchouts in that time. Baltimore claimed him off waivers on the day of the trade deadline, but it could be a brief stay in the organization. He’s allowed four runs in 2 1/3 Triple-A frames since being claimed and, for the season, carries an ugly 5.40 ERA in 65 Triple-A innings.
Hartman does have strong numbers up through the Double-A level and quality strikeout-to-walk numbers this season, so it’s possible another club will want to take a look once he hits waivers. He’s in the first of three option years, so anyone who picks him up could keep him as a flexible depth option for the foreseeable future.
A Burdi is an Oriole, noted!
The orioles were the first time able to claim him right?
One team’s trash is another team’s trash. I don’t understand this waiver claim; his numbers are awful! The only thing he has going for him is that he is still young. Not overly confident that Baltimore can unlock his potential though…
Sky high strikeout rate. Things click for those guys sometimes and they can be dominant.
Two words: Spin rate.
Spin rate is the most overrated stat in baseball. Location, control, and change of speed are far more important to a pitcher than spin rate. It’s not even close.
I don’t think anyone disagrees that spin rate is worth more than being effective. But it’s up there with velocity when you’re just looking at stuff. If you have a high spin rate fastball, you can ride it through the zone, giving it that ‘rising-fastball’ kind of look.
Luke Bard once had the best spin rate in baseball. The Angels thought they were ahead of the game when they went after him. 5.05 Era in 60 INGS in 3 years. Well see if they give him another chance when healthy.
Low opportunity cost – low risk/high reward. Think Mike Yazstremski from the Giants perspective.
He’s a triple digital pitcher with closer potential. Just never materialized with the Sox.
Age is not the only thing going for him. He also has an electric arm. The Orioles are hoping that their coaching and analytics guys can help harness his control enough to make him a useful bullpen guy, and it’s not like the O’s have anyone in their bullpen regularly getting people out..
Former first rounder, who’s struggles could be related to his injuries. I like the move for the Orioles. Not expecting much since they can’t seem to develop any sort of pitching.
It’s a whole new regime from top to bottom. Let’s be optimistic for the future!
I’ll believe it when I see it. I trust the bats will come around. The pitching though is something else. I look at tanner Scott and Dillon Tate and see their filthy stuff, but with poor results. Grayson seems legit. DL Hall is one who I feel is the perfect candidate to put the current development to the test. We’ll see though.
The regime was new in 2019. In 2021 it’s starting to stink like week old garbage.
This isn’t the NBA or NFL where plugging in a top draft pick can take a team from the basement to the playoffs. I know patience with sports teams isn’t most people’s strong suit.
Exactly. The O’s with Adley and Rodriguez, on the team and playing to their ceilings, MIGHT have won 5 more games this year. That’s the silliness of tanking on a logistic basis; financials are another matter.
How much worse can he be?
would’ve liked a look at Hartman but oh well
I agree, seems to be getting lit in AAA. His AA numbers played. Was a starter as well, I can see the KBO saying hello
Hoyer we built the White Sox to a contender why not take some of there best to make us good . Theo knew there was nothing left he traded it all .I like Hoyer trades except Davich for 3 High schoolers and Mills.
There’s so much wrong in that statement that my brain hurts just reading it.
Smart move by the O’s, we shouldn’t have DFAd him
The guy was terrible and always injured why would the sox keep a guy like that? Can’t keep him in the minors forever and you are just wasting money on a hope that has very little faith. For a team as bad as the o’s they can take a shot. Sox have no need for him now or in the future. Teams that work with these kind of guys are rebuilders not contenders. He had his shots and his body didn’t hold up and people passed him on the depth chart so bye bye Burdi and good luck!!!
That 2016 draft looks pretty weak in hindsight. Almost 80% of teams are probably regretting their first round picks at this point.
It was considered a pretty weak class entering the draft, which is why there was no consensus overall pick.
The phrase “wing and a prayer” fits in so many ways here.
Wow another stunning Mike Elias move. Cutting a crappy pitcher and signing another crappy pitcher.You say Burdi could be developed? I say ( and the evidence is overwhelming) that the O’s have no ability to develop pitchers. Look at all the progress the alleged pitchers on their current staff have made this year( sarcasm alert). Orioles fans just don’t seem to get this is all rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Unless someone offers proof otherwise it appears the Angelos family has given Elias his marching orders. Minimize payroll. Sure spend a little on analytics, scouting, a Dominican complex ( after all you have to spend a little money to spruce your house up before you sell it) but keep our money rolling in until the boss dies and then we sell ( big tax advantages to doing it that way). And O’s fans just grin and bear it because, well, we’ve got great minor leaguers coming up (management keeps telling us) in spite of the fact that, as I’ve said, there is no evidence the O’s know how to develop talent. And there aren’t enough minor league pitchers to put out the city dump fire that is the current O’s pitching staff. Plus this ownership WILL NOT spend money on a pitcher that might actually help. Sad state of affairs.
I get the frustration, I’m tired of watching a loser. They literally have #1 hitting and #1 pitching prospect in baseball right now. So I remain hopeful.
I didn’t like the fact that they didn’t bring the pitching coach back for this year. I thought the base coaches have made a lot of errors in the base running. I don’t like the defensive positioning at times.
I do understand that they’re trying out people and eliminating people Elias is only been here 3 years you can’t develop pitching in 3 years. So you have to give it a little time
And as far as the Orioles spend the money they might not be cheap, they might be broke. The best thing you could happen for the Orioles is either new ownership, or move to a different state. The surrounding area of the ballpark is dangerous, and the team is losing who’s going to go to the games.
If things don’t change soon look for the Baltimore Orioles to become, the Charlotte Orioles or the Nashville Orioles.
It’s possible the Orioles might acquire Rafael Dolis off waivers. If they can send a worse reliever to AAA while also getting rid of Maikel Franco for Rylan Bannon (before you bring out the pitchforks, his .153 babip is astronomically low) assuming a .296 babip Bannon would have a .268 .365 .482 slash line in AAA and people would be clamoring for Baltimore to call him up.
First thing you do w’ Burdi is get his lower half connected at release point.He gets out in front on his drive to the plate.If he can stay healthy & willing to put in the work he can turn around his career.
After all these years I have to have a “see it to believe it” for the turnaround of the Orioles’ farm system.
For players who came up through the system or the Orioles acquired in the low minors, who have they had over the past 30 years? Mike Mussina, a HOF, who they got a great decade from before cheaping out. Manny Machado, who they had for 7 or 8 years. Steve Finley – traded early. Those 3 would have to be the only true success stories of the “born and raised” Orioles. That is sad for 30 years.
You have guys like Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and Matt Wieters who had nice careers. They were good players, all-star considerations in their best years. Wieters never lived up to the hype, Markakis had his best years early before fading from very good to good. Roberts provided 4 very good years before injuries.
They also had guys they acquired early on but not quite born and raised: Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, Brady Anderson. And lucky dumpster dive finds like Jeremy Guthrie, Erik Bedard.
But where are the “born and raised” pitchers these days? Guys they have drafted and coached through the system as starters. Jake Arrieta did not blossom until he left the Orioles and another team immediately fixed the problem. Kevin Gausman and even Dylan Bundy showed much better flashes after they left the Orioles. Zach Britton flourished – as a reliever. Who else? Sidney Ponson? Please. Brian Matusz? Daniel Cabrera? Starting pitching have been primarily placeholders, and were barely adequate through the 2012-16 period when the Orioles performed competently, and they flat out refuse to spend $ on them. Oh, except Ubaldo Jimenez, who even then wasn’t exactly a top tier signing.
This is why I need to see what Adley Rutschman does after they bring him up (surely after they manipulate his service time). These pitchers we hear about blowing the low minors away. I need to see them dominate in AAA and MLB before I believe it. Otherwise there’s going to be a long string of years when Orioles fans will celebrate finishing the season with <100 losses (which would be quite an improvement!)