Nestor Cortes signed a deal to pitch with the Phillies. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
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“Nasty” Nestor Cortes is a Phillie. But when will his nastiness arrive in Philadelphia?
It could be a couple weeks.
The former All-Star left-hander signed a one-year deal with the Phillies on Friday and get paid $1.5 million if he reaches the big leagues and $250,000 if he stays in the minors.
Cortes’ first stop will be Class A Clearwater, where he’ll continue his rehab. He needed surgery to repair a torn left biceps in October, and it’s been almost a year since his last MLB appearance on Sept. 3, 2025.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said Cortes has thrown several extended bullpen sessions, including a live bullpen on Friday. Here’s a sneak-peek at Cortes at work a few days prior to his Phillies signing:
According to Mattingly, Cortes “says he’s ready to roll.” But will he roll as a starter or a reliever? Cortes has primarily been a starting pitcher, having started 94 games in his career.
Earlier this season, Mattingly hinted to deploying a six-man rotation, but that may not be the wisest move at this juncture with the Phils in a playoff race. Plus, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter both have pitched well of late, solidifying the rotation.
The Phillies greatest need is a bullpen piece – specifically a lefty – and Mattingly has had few lockdown relievers other than Jhoan Duran all season.
Cortes gives Mattingly a flex option – starter or bulk-inning guy or even a specialist – while adding a fresh arm to an dog-tired ‘pen.
“I’m not sure the plan is trying to get built to be a starter,” Mattingly told the media on Friday. “That’s kind of a long build. That’s throwing, getting to 75 to 90 pitches, four days in between every one of those. So I think it’s getting going, build him up, at least to a bulk grow, go from there.”
Cortes was 2-4 with a 6.29 ERA in eight starts last year with Milwaukee and San Diego, a season cut short by a left flexor tendon strain that kept him on the IL from April 4 to Aug. 6, and left biceps tendinitis ended his season on Sept. 3.
The 31-year-old spent the previous seven seasons with the Yankees, becoming an All-Star in 2022, and has a 35-25 career record with a 3.94 ERA.
But his most memorable moment isn’t a good one: He came out of the bullpen in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series to face the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman and threw the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history. Phillies and Yankees fans please look away: