Left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. is headed back to the Yankees organization, as the pitcher himself revealed last week on Instagram. The team hasn’t formally announced the move, which is surely a minor league pact. “I’m extremely excited to announce I will be a Yankee again,” Cortes wrote. “I’m truly lucky to have this opportunity. It’s time to work to get up there.”
Cortes, who recently turned 26, was a 36th-round pick by the Yankees back in 2013 and has spent parts of the past three seasons in the big leagues. The Orioles selected him in the Rule 5 Draft back in 2017 and gave him his big league debut during the 2018 season. However, the O’s cut him loose after just 4 2/3 frames and returned him to the Yankees.
In 2019, Cortes made his Yankees debut, appearing in 33 Major League games but struggling to the tune of a 5.67 ERA and 5.57 FIP. He averaged better than a strikeout per inning (9.3 K/9) but was too prone to walks (3.8 BB/9) and especially to home runs (2.2 HR/9) to have much success. It was more of the same with the Mariners in 2020, when Cortes was tagged 13 earned runs and a staggering six home runs in just 7 2/3 innings.
All in all, Cortes has a grisly 6.72 ERA in 79 Major League frames, but he’s been excellent in Triple-A, with a 3.11 ERA and a 199-to-62 K/BB ratio in 205 1/3 innings. He’s been sharp thus far in the Dominican Winter League as well, holding opponents to five runs on 11 hits and five walks with 21 strikeouts through 15 2/3 innings.
Big league struggles notwithstanding, three different big league teams have been intrigued enough by Cortes and his potential to give him a look over the past three seasons. He’ll surely have to earn his way onto the roster with a big spring showing or perhaps some early success in Triple-A, but the Yankees are in need of pitching depth and Cortes provides that both in the rotation and the bullpen.
the legend is back
Cashman finally gets a quality pitcher…..
Dumpster Dive comment #43,512.
And counting
Love the “grisly” description. Certainly not HOF-level performance.
Holy cow, has he been homer prone in the majors so far. He’d best get that under control ASAP.
“Chicks dig giving up the long ball.” Wait…
Now this is the kind of move that separates NYY from the rest of the league.
Paired with Cessa, nothing can get in the way of #28.
Does anyone come up with original comments anymore or just copy and paste the same lines for every non-major signing? Original would be a nice change of pace.
Brian Cashman has an elflike quality as he rappels down buildings.
Howzat?
Wow he’s put up some very impressive numbers in the minors. And anyone who sounds as excited as he does in his Instagram post about playing baseball definitely seems like someone you want to root for. I’m not a Yankees fan (at all… Red Sox fan actually) but I can’t help but want to root for this guy just because he seems so excited to have the opportunity to play baseball. Best of luck to him maybe he can finally figure out how to translate his significant minor league success to the majors.
Wish him all the best.
Waiting for them to resign David Phelps and David Robertson….
Good deception, generates swings and misses, doesn’t have enough velocity to counter weak command. If he can improve on the latter, could still be a serviceable MLB arm. Most likely just a depth pickup.
Anyone who thinks this is anything but a terrible move clearly has never watched this dude pitch. His whole schtick is that he throws the same meatball fastball at several different arm angles, which is useless when every pitch ends up over the heart of the plate anyway. Pathetic that NYY bothered to bring him back at all, wasting a roster spot on him in an already shaky bullpen is a horrible decision. Hopefully they give him like 10 innings and trade him for international bonus slot money. Cortes is a complete wash with no future in the bigs unless he suddenly develops two new plus pitches.
Minor league deal, the only waste in this deal was the breath you expended, hombre
Thank GOD! I was afraid Jerry Dipoto would offer him another minor league option. Mariners had a ghastly BP last year- Mr Cortes played a big part in that mess.
Oddly enough he actually gave us some good innings out of the pen back in the day. If you get an injury or if their are more double headers this season he is a good fallback to bring in to get some outs.
@BrianCashmanGM. So tell me is it you or the Steinbreners that love you shopping off the Clearance racks? Are they preventing you from doing your job to the best of your ability.
He’s rather sign a minor league deal with the Yanks rather than LAA
The Yankees better hope they don’t need him at the Major League level. It would be great if he earns a trip up there but if they have to call him up out of need for an arm, buyer beware!
Nice to see the Yankees doing something to help the homeless population.
Just look up Journeyman in dictionary and you’ll see Nestor the Molester’s picture!