Burdi (elbow) elected free agency Monday rather than accept an outright assignment to the minors, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The injury bug bit Burdi yet again in 2020, as he threw just 2.1 innings before hitting the injured list with elbow issues which eventually led to Tommy John surgery. He'll sit out the entirety of the 2021 season while recovering from the injury and could wind up doing so as a free agent, though another team could in theory pay for his rehab in order to secure his services in 2022. Whether or not a team will do that for a pitcher with just 12.1 big-league innings under his belt remains to be seen.