The Philadelphia Phillies made a long overdue move to bring in some starting pitching depth on Wednesday when they signed former All-Star Nestor Cortes Jr. It remains to be seen how large of a role Cortes will play for the Phillies down the stretch, but if he can return anywhere close to his previous form it should be a fairly large one. Aside from the obvious benefit of having another experienced arm, Cortes could provide a surprising amount of value just by giving the other pitchers in the rotation some extra rest.
Cortes made a name for himself with an excellent four-year run with the New York Yankees from 2021 to 2024, in which he posted a 3.33 ERA across 489 innings of work with 495 strikeouts. His magnum opus was a 2.44 ERA 2022 campaign that earned him his lone All-Star nod. The 31-year-old has fallen on hard times since then, as he was roughed up for 24 earned runs in just 34 ⅓ frames in an injury-riddled 2025 season.
That poor injury luck continued into this past offseason when late-season surgery for a torn tendon in his throwing arm has prevented him from seeing any game action, or even signing a contract, until now. The Phils scooped up the funky southpaw on a low-risk $1.5 million salary that will be prorated for whatever time he spends in the big leagues.
Cortes will begin his Phillies tenure with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers where he’ll hopefully round into form to start soaking up innings at the major league level. The club hasn’t announced what role he’ll play when and if he reaches the majors, but it’s a safe bet he won’t be counted on to be a workhorse with such little ramp-up time.
The addition of Nestor Cortes Jr. could let the rest of the Phillies' staff get much-needed rest (in six-man rotation?)
In all likelihood, the Cuban-born hurler will serve as a swingman, capable of making a spot start when needed or taking down multiple innings out of the bullpen. That could provide a nice respite for a Phillies pitching staff that has been ridden hard and put away wet.
The current rotation of Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter has remained healthy this season, but there’s bupkis in the way of quality depth behind them. Quad-A arm Alan Rangel has gotten a handful of spot starts with a 5.88 ERA to show for his efforts, while feel-good story Brian Keller was designated for assignment to make room for Cortes on the 40-man roster.
Beyond those two is a collection of uninspiring spare parts in Triple-A hurlers Casey Lawrence, Tucker Davidson and old friend Kolby Allard. Just one injury to any of the starting five, let alone another drop in performance from the notoriously unreliable Nola or Painter, and the Phillies are in deep trouble.
That’s where Nestor Cortes Jr.’s hidden benefit comes in. It’s hard to imagine he’ll pitch like the All-Star he was four years ago, but if he’s merely serviceable then he’ll give the Phils the option of moving to a six-man rotation once they feel comfortable that they’ll make it to the postseason. The team’s World Series hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of Wheeler, Sánchez and Luzardo, and considering the immense workload they’ve been asked to bear this season they could use a bit of extra rest.
Nestor Cortes Jr. is far from a savior for the 2026 Phillies. Their odds of winning a championship are not meaningfully impacted by his addition, and he probably won’t be on the mound for pressure-packed moments come October. However, just getting there is half the battle, and he can help the Phillies’ most important players get there a little less banged up.
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