The Philadelphia Phillies plan to sign left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes to a major-league deal, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official.
Cortes, 31, is coming off surgery to repair a biceps tear in his throwing arm and has not pitched in the majors this season. He last pitched for the San Diego Padres in 2025, making six regular-season starts (16 earned runs in 26 1/3 innings) before going on the injured list with left biceps tendinitis.
The Phillies’ starting pitching depth is among the team’s greatest weaknesses right now. The club did not sign a starter at the trade deadline, deciding to give Andrew Painter the runway as the fifth starter.
For the most part, Painter has looked much better than he did in his first stint with the big-league club. But the depth behind him is thin, with Alan Rangel as the sixth man and likely Brian Keller as the seventh. Signing Cortes, a deal first reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray, should alleviate these woes.
Cortes struggled last season amid injuries, dealing with both a flexor strain and the biceps tendinitis that ended his season. But he has been a consistent starter in the past, particularly in his final four seasons (2021-24) with the New York Yankees.
The Yankees traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a package for Devin Williams in December 2024, and he made two starts with the Brewers last season before being placed on the IL and then traded to San Diego while rehabbing his elbow.
The Phillies do not necessarily need excellence, but another competent starter would go a long way as the team pushes toward October.
