“Nestor Cortes is a name that’s definitely out there. Won’t be shocked if he’s moved. Haven’t confirmed Tommy Edman is a target for Cortes but NYY does like him,” Heyman wrote on X.
The criticism leveled at the Yankees during their poor stretch of play does not seem to change what Cortes thinks the team can achieve. On July 16, Cortes took to X to voice his opinion and share his gratitude for being a Yankee.
“Everyone talks down about the yanks but they wanna be us. It’s a privilege to wear pinstripes. Every year we are in contention. I’m blessed to be able to compete for a playoff spot and always be contenders at the end,” Cortes wrote on X.
The Yankees are contenders, but Cortes may not be a pivotal piece in the postseason rotation for the Yankees, who have Gerrit Cole, Marcus Stroman and Luis Gil.
Cortes has a 3.99 ERA on the season in 21 starts. He has given up 11 earned runs in 8 2/3 in his last two starts. Cortes started just 12 games in 2023 but had a 4.97 ERA. In the offseason he signed a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Yankees, avoiding arbitration.
Yankees Deadline Needs
“The Yankees made a similar move in 2022 when they traded Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals for center fielder Harrison Bader,” Kirschner wrote about the possibility of trading Cortes. “The thinking was Montgomery would not be a part of the Yankees’ playoff rotation, and general manager Brian Cashman wanted to shore up a critical spot defensively. Cortes comes with one more year of team control, and he still has value. They could use a new starting infielder or left fielder in exchange for Cortes.”
The Yankees clearly need a bat. The Yankees offense ranks No. 16 in batting average in July. DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres could both be replaced at the deadline after extended struggles.
LeMahieu has a .176 batting average in 45 games this season. Torres is hitting .237 this year. However, he is hitting .327 in his last 15 games.
The Yankees indicated they were willing to make big moves when they acquired Chisholm. Trading Cortes, who has not missed a start, would fit their aggressive nature. Woo noted that the Cardinals could have an interest in Cortes.
On July 28 The Athletic’s Katie Woo noted the Yankees had an interest in St. Louis Cardinals Tommy Edman and had inquired about him. While he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a three-team deal on July 29 a potential player she thought the Cardinals could eye in return was Cortes.
“One name St. Louis could pursue is Nestor Cortes. He has made every start for the Yankees this year, logging 124 1/3 innings over 22 games,” wrote Woo. “He has a 4.13 ERA and a 1.206 WHIP, and he’s given up an uncharacteristically high number of hits so far this season. But he’s a durable starter with postseason experience, two traits the Cardinals identified over the offseason as what they wanted in their rotation.”
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