Veteran lefty Nestor Cortes is heading to the Phillies on a major league deal, per Robert Murray of FanSided. Cortes is working his way back from arm surgery. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com was among the first to report that the sides were in talks on a deal.
Cortes made eight starts in the big leagues last season. He pitched in two games with the Brewers before going down with a left elbow flexor strain. Milwaukee shipped him to the Padres for Brandon Lockridge at the trade deadline. Cortes made a half dozen starts for San Diego. His season was cut short by left biceps tendinitis. He chose free agency at the end of the year.
The 31-year-old Cortes spent several seasons as a stable member of the Yankees’ rotation. He notched a 3.77 ERA across a career-high 174 1/3 innings in 2024. New York sent him to the Brewers that offseason, along with infielder Caleb Durbin, in the trade that netted closer Devin Williams. The swap didn’t pan out for either side. Williams struggled in the Bronx and eventually lost the closer role. Cortes was healthy for eight innings in Milwaukee. Durbin was dealt again after one season (though he did bring back breakout lefty Kyle Harrison).
More to come…