Nestor Cortes was once an All-Star for the New York Yankees, but things have not been great for him recently.
Cortes had arm surgery in the fall and has been working out with teams, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo, and is reportedly in talks with the Philadelphia Phillies on a free-agent contract.
The Yankees traded him and Caleb Durbin to the Milwaukee Brewers for Devin Williams following the 2024 season. He made two starts for the Brewers before landing on the injured list with a flexor strain. The Brewers traded him to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline.
He made six starts for the Padres before landing on the injured list with biceps tendinitis. Last season, he had a 6.29 ERA and made just eight total starts. However, the Phillies may be willing to take a chance on him. Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Zack Wheeler have been great, but the backend of the rotation could use some help.
Aaron Nola has a 5.33 ERA, but has looked better in his last four starts. The No. 5 spot in the rotation has been a mess all year, and Andrew Painter does not look like the solution.
It's unclear whether Cortes would be able to start games right away or not if he signs, but it's worth the Phillies giving him a shot. He cannot possibly be worse than Painter, who has a 6.43 ERA in 18 games.
If they want Cortes in the bullpen, he could provide them with a veteran arm with postseason experience. Cortes has a 3.94 career ERA and had a 3.61 ERA in five years with the Yankees.
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