The Orioles have designated lefty Nestor Cortes for assignment, per a club announcement. The team promoted righty Yefry Ramirez to take his place on the active roster.
Cortes was taken from the Yankees in the 2017 Rule 5 draft. If he clears waivers, he’ll be offered back to the New York organization for a $50K sum, which the Yankees will all but assuredly pay. Regardless, the O’s have opened an additional 40-man spot for the time being.
The 23-year-old Cortes was one of two Rule 5 picks the O’s made back in December and one of three players with Rule 5 restrictions to crack the Opening Day roster. Baltimore also selected Pedro Araujo out of the Cubs organization, and outfielder Anthony Santander still comes with Rule 5 status for the first 44 days of the 2018 season after spending the bulk of the 2017 season on the disabled list.
Cortes appeared in four games for the Orioles and was tagged for four runs on 10 hits and four walks with three strikeouts through 4 2/3 innings of relief. Last year with the Yankees, he logged an impressive 2.06 ERA in 104 total innings between Class-A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A, while averaging a strikeout per inning and just 2.8 walks per nine frames.
Ironman_4life
Courtesy of Josh Donaldson
masnhater
You mean Buck Showalter and Mychal Givens!
Ironman_4life
Cant blame Buck. He handles a bullpen to perfection. Same old story. Orioles pitching is very suspect…
dimitrios in la
Actually O’s pitching holds a lot of promise this year. Could be a very good rotation but we’ll see.
jdgoat
I know it’s a small sample but both games that Cortes blew were mismanaged by Showalter. There was no reason for him to be mopping up other guys messes.
Comment Section Mod
Nah, the Orioles pitching looks the same as always. The only difference is they finally have a guy pitching like a number 1. But that doesn’t matter when you have guys like Tillman, Gausman, and Wright who get lit up every start. Cashner might be an alright back of the rotation pitcher, but they need him to pitch like a top pitcher.
Add in the fact that they don’t have Britton and their bullpen has sucked so far, and I don’t know how you can say that their pitching can be “very good”.
jbigz12
Our bullpen hasn’t sucked. Givens got hit the other night. Cortes got rocked a couple times but other than that it’s been generally pretty solid. We won two extra innings game this weekend thanks to our pen. That’s not going to be our problem at all. Cortes didn’t belong in the majors anyway. We have him his chance but he’s not a major league pitcher right now. It’ll only get better taking him out.
jbigz12
Cortes throws an 86 mph heater. He can’t get major league hitters out consistently. He’s gotten absolutely rocked.10 hits and 4 walks in 4.2 innings isn’t acceptable under any circumstances
mstrchef13
If you can’t trust him to get out a left hander, he has no place on the roster. He gave up a grand slam to Reddick and walked Granderson before the Donaldson slam. Reddick and Granderson have never been good against lefties. The only reason he made the team was because Donnie Hart and Josh Elgin were bad in spring training while Cortes was serviceable. He didn’t show himself to be overpowering or crafty, just hitable.
masnhater
Buck is awful at managing the bullpen. Look at what he did with the bullpens when he was with the Yankees, D’backs, and Rangers, not to mention his bad job currently with the O’s bullpen.
dimitrios in la
Buck has done his usual terrific job already this year. His use of Álvarez, Gentry, Mancini, among others, has been very solid.
mynameispepe
That reminds me of the terrific job he did (for the Blue Jays) when he let Ubaldo face EE with Britton available.
jbigz12
When you play a 13 inning game the day before and your starter gives you .2 innings you have to use guys in ways you normally wouldn’t have to. Nothing on Buck for putting Cortes in that game. He was the freshest reliever we had in that bullpen.
tim815
Ex-Cubs prospect Pedro Araujo is the last one standing.
Ironman_4life
Ive watched every game thus far and i like what i see from araujo. Lot of strikes .
tim815
I’m happy he’s getting paid.
jdgoat
Life long MLB healthcare too!!!
jbigz12
Araujo has a good arm. I expect a couple rough outings here and there but I think we’ll be able to keep him.
dimitrios in la
And he looks really good. Likely a keeper. Hard to keep two Rule 5 guys all year. (Santander will stick around too.)
tim815
Especially when the preference was toward a 7 Man pen in the AL.
dimitrios in la
Tough for Cortes. Seems like a good competitor but the lack of speed on his fastball makes it hard at this level—unless his control is absurdly good, which it hasn’t been so far.
mehs
“The 23-year-old Cortes was one of two Rule 5 picks the O’s made back in December”
The Orioles made 3 rule 5 picks this past December. They also took Jose Mesa Jr. who has already been returned.
Gwynning's Anal Lover
Nestor is a good long term pick. He just didn’t work out the first week.
jbigz12
I don’t see him being a good long term pick. He can mix and match and be crafty all day but how many successful mlb pitchers currently throw an 86mph fastball? None that I know of.
Kraycik
Cortez is all Duquette’s doing.
Buck just shined a big light on the problem
It was worth the risk. The guy definitely has promise, but the timing just wasn’t right. I wish him the best back in NY
Shawnsom12
Cortes is not a big league pitcher. I’m okay if he proves me wrong. Can’t hurt as much as the 2012 opening day starter that had 7 ERA and was traded to the cubs, so we could make a plaTiff run.
Leonard44
Buck’s handling of pen has been questionable. Using Araujo in the 8th inning against Houston, for his first appearance cost that game, leaving Scott in too long resulted in extra innings over the weekend – no way you leave him in after Walker gets on. Then coming back w Givens for a second inning after loading the bases was an obvious mistake. Buck is a great manager , this is not his strength.
mstrchef13
You’re being foolish. One of Buck’s strengths has always been bullpen management. Tough to manage a bullpen when Tillman and Wright can’t get out of their own way, Gausman only went 5 in his first start, and they played 3 extra inning games in the first 10.
camdenyards46
*Three rule 5 picks. Cortes, Araujo, and Jose Mesa Jr (returned to Yankees)