August 20: It’s a split contract that pays Cortes a prorated $1.5MM salary for his time on the MLB roster, The Associated Press reports. He’ll be paid at a $250K rate while he’s in the minors.

August 19: Veteran lefty Nestor Cortes is heading to the Phillies on a major league deal, per Robert Murray of FanSided. Cortes is working his way back from arm surgery. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com was among the first to report that the sides were in talks on a deal. Philadelphia officially announced Cortes’ signing. Righty Brian Keller was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Cortes agreed to be optioned to Low-A Clearwater to build up.

Cortes made eight starts in the big leagues last season. He pitched in two games with the Brewers before going down with a left elbow flexor strain. Milwaukee shipped him to the Padres for Brandon Lockridge at the trade deadline. Cortes made a half dozen starts for San Diego. His season was cut short by left biceps tendinitis. He chose free agency at the end of the year.

The 31-year-old Cortes spent several seasons as a stable member of the Yankees’ rotation. He notched a 3.77 ERA across a career-high 174 1/3 innings in 2024. New York sent him to the Brewers that offseason, along with infielder Caleb Durbin, in the trade that netted closer Devin Williams. The swap didn’t pan out for either side. Williams struggled in the Bronx and eventually lost the closer role. Cortes was healthy for eight innings in Milwaukee. Durbin was dealt again after one season (though he did bring back breakout lefty Kyle Harrison).

The Red Sox, Yankees, and White Sox were among the teams interested in Cortes, per Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. The lefty threw for scouts on Tuesday. He ultimately lands with a Philadelphia squad that could use some depth in the rotation.

The Phillies made a few notable acquisitions at the trade deadline, but none of them included a starting pitcher. The club decided to bring back Andrew Painter to take the No. 5 spot in the rotation. The former top prospect had pitched better in his return to the majors until he permitted five earned runs on Sunday in Minnesota. Painter has added a new changeup and increased the usage of his breaking balls. The recent results suggest he could stick in the rotation, though it’s just a four-start sample.

Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images