The Philadelphia Phillies signed veteran left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes to a contract.
At the time, it was reported that Cortes was signing an MLB deal with the Phillies; however, that isn’t the case. The Associated Press reported on Thursday that it’s a split deal with different salaries when Cortes is in the minors compared to the MLB.
“Former All-Star left-hander Nestor Cortes agreed to a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, a deal that will pay him $1.5 million while in the major leagues and $250,000 while in the minors,” the article read. “Cortes agreed to be optioned to Class-A Clearwater as part of the deal announced Wednesday. Right-hander Brian Keller was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.”
With Cortes agreeing to a split contract, there is no rush for him to get to the MLB. Instead, he could be built up over a few outings before reaching the MLB in a month or so. He also agreed to be optioned to Class-A as part of the deal.
Cortes was an All-Star in 2022 and is entering his ninth MLB season. He made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Baltimore Orioles.
The left-hander last pitched in the MLB on Sept. 3 of last season while he was with the San Diego Padres. In his MLB career, Cortes is 35-25 with a 3.94 ERA in 143 games, including 94 starts.
Phillies Manager Reacts to Cortes Deal
After reports came out that the Phillies were signing Cortes, Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly couldn’t say much about it.
The deal wasn’t official, but Mattingly felt like Cortes could help the pitching staff, or else Dave Dombrowski and the front office wouldn’t have signed him.
“I just kind of heard about it last night,” Mattingly said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nestor pitch, besides a few pitches on TV and things like that. I’ve never seen him in person, so we’ll see. I think it’s depth. It’s another guy that’s got experience, and obviously we wouldn’t have signed him if they didn’t think he’s throwing the ball pretty good.”
When Cortes will make his Phillies debut is unclear, as he will begin his tenure in Class-A. And, it’s uncertain if he will pitch out of the bullpen or start games for Philadelphia down the stretch.
Philadelphia on Hot Streak
The Phillies are starting to play much better baseball as Philadelphia is on a six-game winning streak.
Aaron Nola pitched 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 8. It was a stellar outing as Nola helped the Phillies to a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins.
“Lately, I’ve been feeling pretty good, body and arm, arsenal’s been feeling pretty good,” Nola said. “Hopefully, I can keep it up.”
Nola has turned a corner, which is huge for him and the team, and Mattingly is glad to see it.
“Every time you get a good outing it’s obviously huge for the rotation and huge for the club,” Mattingly said.
The Phillies are now 70-58 and holding onto the second Wild Card spot.
Key New Detail Revealed in Nestor Cortes’ Deal With Phillies